The Star's Jim Travesty at it again

[MarkOttawa]

Conservatives ask too much of defence spending
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/240789

Not much about Stephen Harper's government is as simple or complex as its support for the military. Since promising in the last election to boost defence budgets by more than $5 billion, Conservatives have been even more generous, ordering planes, ships and even tanks while talking about restoring pride and more muscular offshore missions. What isn't clear is how that spending fits the forces into a coherent foreign policy.

Critics insist the reason is obvious: This prime minister's international priorities are pleasing Washington and playing diaspora politics at home. Neither requires a sophisticated, overarching strategy...

The only Conservative acquisitions and spending plans that are truly new are the C-17s, Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships (with a strong element of asserting ourselves against the Americans, no less), and the Leopard 2s.

All the other major ones were either part of CF plans under the Liberals or considered by the Liberals and rejected (in Nov. 2005 MND Graham's proposal to buy C-130Js, Chinooks and fixed-wing SAR aircraft--the last once a Liberal priority-- was shot down and the Liberals agreed only to fast-track the Hercs), e.g.:

Joint Support Ship
Frigate Refit
New trucks

Why doesn't Travesty present the real facts? Either he doesn't know or remember, or he simply wants to smear the Conservatives with the good old anti-American brush.

More:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FRTGAM.20051116.wxmilitary16%2FBNStory%2FNational%2F&ord=3193706&brand=theglobeandmail&redirect_reason=2&denial_reasons=none&force_login=false
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2FArticleNews%2FTPStory%2FLAC%2F20051111%2FMILITARY11%2FTPFront%2FTopStories&ord=3190034&brand=theglobeandmail&redirect_reason=2&denial_reasons=none&force_login=false
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/11/22/plane-purchase20051122.html

Memory also recalls O'Connor in Quebec City announcing that rather than ridding the army of what Gen. Rick Hillier had previously declared a millstone, Canada will spend $1.3 billion buying and refitting used tanks.

That pleases the military pro-tank faction, the arms industry that once kept O'Connor on its lobbying payroll, and those voters willing to accept that all defence spending is wise...

Mr Travesty seems to have missed this about our dreaded merchants of death and their nefarious former lobbyists:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/War_Terror/2007/07/25/4367628-cp.html

The Conservative government's $200-million plan to refurbish almost half of the 100 surplus Leopard 2 tanks being purchased from the Dutch has hit a snag.

There's currently no company in Canada capable of quickly improving up to 40 Leopard 2A4 armoured vehicles in order to meet the rigours and dangers of Afghanistan.

An undetermined portion of the contract will likely have to carried out overseas, says a senior defence official.

"Obviously, we'd like to do as much of it in Canada as possible but, of course, we currently don't have any capability in Canada to do heavy armoured vehicle work, and so there is consultation with industry taking place," Dan Ross, assistant deputy minister of materiel at National Defence, said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"We're going to have to determine what can be done."..

That this ignoramus and spinner has the status of a major journalist in this country is shameful.  And speaks loudly about the abysmal state of much of our major media.  As if readers here need to be told.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Theskoalbandit]

I'm getting fed up with this guy my hometown newspaper puts in his columns every day in the paper to,give him a chance to ramble on about the Conservative party might say one or two sentences about the liberals anyways i found a good link about him I'm sure everyone will like it

http://jacksnewswatch.com/2007/07/19//

 

[Long in the tooth]

Imagine that, "even tanks"!  For an Army, no less.  Who'd a thunk an army would have tanks?

Consider the source.  I review almost two dozen daily newspapers... I don't touch the Star.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Upon mature research, the facts, nothing but:

Defence procurement: Jim Travesty has no clue
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2007/07/defence-procurement-jim-travesty-has-no.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Theskoalbandit]

I had a good idea when i seen how those sites like move on.org are tr yin to boycott sponsors of the fox news why doesn't someone do that in Canada with the toronto star i mean i don't read it by they continue to spill this fake journalism on us just a thought any how

 

[Fishbone Jones]

skoalb,

PM sent.