Canadians were shocked in late September when it was announced that our military funding was being cut by $1,000,000,000. Can you imagine a military that operates on a shoe string budget having their budget cut?

Canada made a promise, as part of NATO, that our military spending would be 2% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). How well are we living up to our agreement? We manage 1.3% of our GDP. Definitely, we are not carrying our weight.

In June, we were embarrassed that we were unable to purchase gear for our soldiers stationed in Latvia. We sent our soldiers on a mission, where they were in harms way, and they had to purchase their own ballistic helmets, suitable weapons, rain gear, bullet proof vests, belts to carry water and ammunition. We sent our soldiers into danger without modern anti-tank weapons, or systems to warn of drone, helicopter or jet attacks.

In April, we sent our soldiers to Poland, but, unfortunately, we couldn’t feed them while they were there. They had to purchase their meals while their families back in Canada struggled to make ends meet. Our government made promises that if the soldiers would purchase their food at local restaurants the Department of National Defence would reimburse the soldiers for their food bills. This didn’t go well, and our soldiers wrote home to have their family borrow what they could to buy more food. Capt. Nicolas Plourde-Fleury, spokesman for Canadian Joint Operations Command apologized and said they’d do better going ahead. That was April. By June, our soldiers were eating but not receiving proper protective gear and weapons.

A year earlier, in June 2022, the Minister of National Defence announced funding for Canada’s continental defence capabilities, including modernizing the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). This is the most significant upgrade to Canada’s NORAD capabilities in almost four decades. Somehow, I think with food and equipment in short supply, and a $1B cut to funding this will sink our NORAD responsibilities also.

How can we send our soldiers into danger and not equip them? Not only are we not equipping them, but we are planning on military budget cuts to further impact our soldiers. If we can’t afford to pay for our soldiers food and equipment how are we going to protect our borders from an invading army that could easily trek through northern Canada. When aggressive countries hear that we can’t feed our soldiers, or clothe our soldiers or protect our soldiers, what will keep them from acts of aggression? Likely, the only threat we will have is that we have signed treaties and the other signatories carried through with their obligation to spend on their military.

We won’t find safety from the top, our Prime Minister invited the army of the People’s Republic of China to train in Canadian winter fighting tactics . . . in our north . . . I can’t help but wonder if our government even understands its mandate to ensure that our country and people are protected.

What’s going to be next? Will we send our military out with brand new, cost effective, peashooters? I understand you can get a peashooter with 40 peas for just over $10. Definitely a bargain for our military!

It’s time for Canada to take seriously the world that we live in. There are dangerous people out there who attack their neighbours to steal their land. There are people out there who blow up women and children in their homes. We need only look to Russia and Ukraine. Or we can look to Hamas murdering civilians going about their business—seniors, men, women, children, even babies were fair game on October 7, 2023. Unarmed people enjoying a party were murdered or dragged off as hostages.

That’s the world we live in. So, I must ask, who is going to defend us? Will our military be sufficiently forceful with their state-of the-art peashooters?

CHP Canada takes seriously the need to maintain military preparedness.

“We affirm that governments have a responsibility to build up and maintain a strong military preparedness to protect their citizens from foreign threats and subversive influences which may deprive them of their liberties. Canada’s national defence, therefore, must be vigilant and a “high priority” item, even in times of minimal international tension. Canada’s national defence forces must consist of a standing navy, army, and air force equipped with the best cost-effective weaponry and resources available, and maintained in such numbers as to ensure an effective commitment to the defence of Canada’s interests.” (CHP Policy)

Now that’s a policy with some meat to it. CHP Canada will NOT send our soldiers out to fight without food. We will not send our soldiers out without proper weapons, protection, or modern warfare essentials. We will ensure that our military is ready, willing and able to defend our Canadian borders and carry out our commitments with NORAD and NATO.

It’s time to stop voting for the “same old” and consider what each political party offers. There are many new, innovative ideas, but if you don’t look what political options Canada has available, then you will elect a government that will not protect you and will not be able to protect our country . . . just like governments have been doing for the last many years. Your grandfather’s political party is not the same choices you have—even if they do bear the same name.

Research, decide and vote for the political party that best meets what you would like to see in Canada’s future.

CHP Canada is committed to Canadians. Join CHP Canada to add your voice to ours in defence of our borders and people. Support CHP to ensure more people research, decide and vote. Build CHP Canada into a force that will protect Canada.

Now is the acceptable time!