Funding the Forces

I completly agree, the military needs more funding.

Also I diddn't know the CF planned to expand the regulars to 75, 000. That would be awsome. Think of all the peace keeping missions we could accept because we had the man power to do so or how much better we can do and faster complete our mission in Afghanistan and further ones.

that has been on the books for almost three years now. They just can't keep up with recruiting to be honest. They are overwhelmed and many get put off because it takes a year or two before they 'get the call' on their application.

PS I find it ironic you have the NDP in your avatar, that usually means you are a supporter of the NDP. You do realize that Taliban Jack has no use for the CF? guns and the military period?

be careful with whom you side your allegiance with!

My sister enrolled in Sept. 07, was in basic by January 08.

yup sure, infantry and some of the 'semi' skilled trades go faster. I should have been more specific, I apologize. I applied for MOC pilot in 90 and wasn't in training until 92, it hasn't gotten much better from my understanding. Sure there are MOC's that are 'quick' but they are usually the boots on the ground trades.

Like anybody else has had a use for the CF? It was the liberals who cut off there funding, and the conservatives that kept promising better equipment and more funding but never did anything they said.

I support the NDP because of what they promise, and there views on things which I find great. You pick any party and there is bound to be 1 or 2 things you disagree with it. There is no 'perfect' party.

Hers was aircraft mechanic.

You realize if the NDP formed the government you would have no armed forces to join?

Well said Bacardi, but do your REALLY know the NDP policy for the CF? the details, the size in numbers? the GDP?

2017? WTF?

So either we're not going to have command and control ships like the DDHs for a decade, or we're planning on using them for 50+ years...either way Canada First isn't as great as it sounds. We need to start building DDH replacements right away, as they're already almost 40 years old each.

And if we're going to invest in the CF, let's buy some real icebreakers or subs that can operate up there anytime we want, not just when the ice melts.

I voted Harper because of his promises of the military but it seems those are going down the drain.

Any news about the deep water port? Ice breakers? The arctic patrol (weren't those cancelled?) vessels? I think there were choppers in the mix there. Can we get things sooner? Not 50 years later when the objects are half-obsolete.

Can't now I suppose with the economy.

Well, they are supposed to start on the port soon, but the real icebreakers were cancelled, and replaced by the Arctic patrol vessels. How soon those will be built is anyone's guess, although given the track record of recent governments, I wouldn't expect them for another decade. So far, Harper has 'only' cancelled the JSS, three heavy icebreakers, and upgrades to our patrol aircraft. The navy helos will be delayed until 2010 (at least), but we're getting Chinooks this year (although these are used CH-47Ds, not new helos). The new Ch-47Fs won't be ready for a couple more years, as the line-up is pretty long right now.

Harper started out pretty good, and had he followed through on his defence promises, I would have voted for him in October. However, his defence policy since the summer of 2006 hasn't been any better than the Liberals was, so he lost it.