Canada’s chief of Defence staff narrates the pitiful state of Canadian armed force

Canada under the Liberal party is going through a tough time. A severe healthcare crisis is in the making, the inflation rate is at an all-time high, and attempts by the government to quash the democratic rights of the people are an everyday scenario. And if it wasn’t enough, now the country’s armed forces are in crisis.  

A few days back, we at TFI reported about the distressing state the Canadian military is drilling in. We had a few reasons to back our statement. And now, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen, has also shown concern regarding the same. 

According to the Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Wayne Eyre, the Canadian Armed Forces are under strain from the crisis in Ukraine as well as the need to respond to natural disasters at home.

In an interview on Rosemary Barton Live on Sunday, Eyre said the two issues represented “strong demands on both sides” and, given issues with equipment and personnel shortages, he showed concerns about the military’s overall readiness.

“Our national prosperity is underpinned by our ability to defend the rules-based international order. But our national prosperity is also underpinned by our ability to fight these disasters at home,” he said. 

A nation’s defence is the most paramount undertaking that needs to be taken care of with the highest degree of precision. However, that does not seem to be the case in Trudeau’s Canada. Now, even the country’s top soldier has shown his weakened faith in the nation’s defence system. 

“I’m concerned about our ability to respond at scale at [the] speed required. And so we’re working on addressing elements of our readiness, whether it’s people, whether it’s training, whether it’s the equipment … everything else that makes us able to respond with the right size and the right speed.”

Canada’s military is in shambles. The Canadian Armed Forces are reportedly suffering from an alarming shortage of recruits to fill thousands of vacant positions. The shortfall is said to be so bad that the senior officers have branded the emerging situation as a crisis. 

Read More: Canada is allegedly spending more on Ukrainian militias than its own military

The reason is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hesitancy to spend more on his own country’s defence. Canada currently spends only about 1.2% of its GDP on defence. Instead of spending more on Canada’s defence and military modernization, Canada is allegedly busy helping and assisting the Ukrainian militias. Radio-Canada says that Canada is aiding the Neo-Nazi AZOV squad in Ukraine. 

Trudeau is hesitant to modernise his military

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were rumours that Canada would increase its defence spending. But Canada has clearly failed to do so.

According to NATO defence standards, every NATO-aligned member must spend at least 2% of their GDP on the military budget. However, if the Canadian government authorities are to be believed, Canada’s spending on this issue is barely around 1.5%. Meanwhile, according to NATO estimates, Canada spent only 1.36% of its GDP on defence last year.

This blatant disregard for its defense sector by the Trudeau government has been evident in recent times. Lately, Trudeau appeared to be hesitant to purchase F-35 fighter jets. Result of Trudeau’s procrastination has resulted in a significant capability gap in Canada’s fighter aircraft fleet. As a result of his policies, the Canadian air force has devolved into an inept and ineffectual combat force.

Possible reasons behind the crisis

Canada’s military is supposed to be in a period of growth as new demands increase the need for trained soldiers, sailors, and aviators. 

The Liberal government in 2017 did lay out a plan to add thousands of full and part-time positions, but the plan has not really shown much promise, and ironically, it is because the very party that presented the plan has not been instrumental in promoting it. 

Fewer Canadians are now opting for a military career. But, why is this happening? Though it’s still unclear to the defence department but it seems maybe the reasons are too embarrassing for them to address publicly.

But we had explained to you earlier the three reasons, the military is facing a recruitment crisis. One of the reasons revolves around Canada’s inexperience in the field of battle. You see, Canada has long lived under the umbrella of the US for its security and has, as a result, not experimented enough to promote its own interests.

The Trudeau administration, like all other prior governments, has not endeavoured to promote an independent defence and foreign policy free from Washington’s influence.

As a result, the Canadian youth view their army’s inexperience as a path to a job that would guarantee boredom and provide no room for growth. 

Reason number two is the strategic brainwashing of young Canadians.  In recent years, the innocent Canadian populace has endangered the ideal of nationalism, which has evidently now been taken over by ‘wokeism’. The spirit of nationalism and the sense of duty to one’s homeland is slowly dying, all thanks to the Liberal Party and its unwavering support for the woke agenda. 

The third reason, which is the incumbent PM’s repeated attempts to quash the democratic spirit by bringing degrading policies to conservative strongholds, has led to the formulation of anti-government sentiment. 

No wonder young Canadians are reluctant to serve their nation.

You see, the political structures and ideologies inculcated in citizens play a significant role in determining the administrative system and formulating policies.  Evidently, in this case, it is the establishment of a certain atmosphere in the country by the ruling liberal party that is keeping the will of young Canadians from joining the defence forces and protecting their country. And this is ringing the death knell of the country’s defence efforts. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqPDaYg_YnU