Sajjan: No CFB or CFS closures as part of Defence Review

By: David Pugliese, Defence Watch

The Defence Review is now underway but so far Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has ruled out cuts to the two of the most costly areas of the defence budget – military personnel and major infrastructure.

In February, Sajjan stated categorically that the Liberal government would not be cutting any military personnel – in fact he was looking to expand the size of the Canadian Forces he noted. “We are not looking at reducing our personnel,” Sajjan said at the time. “The conversation I’m having right now is about where do we need to increase some of the personnel.”

Salaries and benefits for personnel make up around 50 per cent of the defence budget (that figure also includes public servants).

In addition, on Monday night Sajjan revealed to a Commons committee that the Liberal government has “absolutely no plans to shut down any bases.” Keeping aging infrastructure operating has been a costly affair over the years for the Department of National Defence and base closures, have under the Jean Chretien government, been used to save money. But not this time, according to the minister.

Location of Canadian Forces Bases or Stations (CFB/CFS) across Canada. Department of National Defence. 

Some analysts, however, have argued for closures. In a January opinion article, Doug Bland, past chairman of the defence management studies program at Queen’s University, argued that Prime Minister Trudeau should cut some bases and installations. Here is part of what he wrote in the Victoria Times Colonist: “The defence budget funds 38 large “bases” and smaller “installations,” located in every province except Prince Edward Island. Most were renovated at the beginning of the Cold War to accommodate a permanent military force of about 130,000 personnel, more than twice today’s personnel strength. Each base is expensively supported by numerous non-operational Canadian Forces units and headquarters and personnel needed to manage budgets, maintain public schools and hundreds of “married quarters” and provide other community services and utilities.

Some bases are critically important to the Canadian Forces’ operations and thus to Canada’s national defence; others are not. Keeping open bases with little or no military utility imposes a heavy, unnecessary tax on the defence budget. According to one informed source, the Liberal government could close 12 bases without impairing Canada’s national defence at all.”

Sajjan also indicated to MPs on Monday night that the government’s Defence Review was considering involvement in the U.S. ballistic missile defence system. No word on what the cost would be if that involvement proceeds.

At the same time, Sajjan has acknowledged there is a limit to the government funding for defence.

Committee to review security on CAF Bases

By: Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — The House of Commons defence committee will hold closed-door hearings on the state of security at Canadian military bases, The Canadian Press has learned.

Conservative MP James Bezan, the party's defence critic, proposed the idea, which was recently accepted by the all-party committee, although a date for the investigation has yet to be scheduled.

In the aftermath of a stabbing of two military members at a north Toronto recruiting facility last month, National Defence conceded that some elements of a full-scale security review at its installations were still ongoing 18 months after the terror attacks of October 2014.

Bezan says it's been clear since the 2014 deaths of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo — attacks inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — that members of the Canadian military need better protection.

He says that at some bases, visitors can drive on to the property without being challenged by security, and the incident last month in Toronto shows a need to improve protection at recruiting centres.

Ayanle Hassan Ali, 27, faces nine charges, including three counts of attempted murder, after two soldiers were attacked and injured by a man with a knife. Police said the man said afterward that Allah told him to do it.

Bezan says MPs want to hear from senior members of the military, including possibly the chief of the defence staff, about what measures have been taken, what resources they need and what can be done to improve.

The motion to conduct the committee investigation passed on March 22, the same day the federal budget was tabled.

Bezan says he proposed holding the meetings behind closed doors to avoid compromising security procedures that are already in place, and insisted that findings of the committee can be reported to the public through the House of Commons.

On the face of it, the proposal — which the Liberals voted to approve — flies in the face of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's campaign promise of more openness and accountability in Parliament.

At the time of the stabbing, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said many recruiting centres are "storefront operations" that must balance security and accessibility for the public and that he was confident DND "would make sure security arrangements were always appropriate."

A spokeswoman for the military said the review of so-called force protection was broken up into several smaller components and that measures, including some base security and safety awareness training have already been implemented.

"A review of some security and force protection directives are complete while others are ongoing," Cmdr. Nathalie Garcia said in an email.

"However, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) continuously assesses the threats posed against CAF members and implement appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of personnel. As such, continuous review of force protection is required."