If you build it, they will come, and if you pay them properly, they will enlist.
That was the lesson we received yesterday as Defence Minister David McGuinty went over the recruiting numbers for the fiscal year that just ended in March.
The Canadian Armed Forces added added 7,310 new members, the highest number of enrolments in more than three decades.
This follows historic changes to pay and compensation packages introduced last year, and recent news that military spending will rise to 5% of overall GDP.
The investment in national defence will include new ships, planes, other hardware, but it all means very little if you don’t have the personnel to back it up.
The new world order has shown us two very important things. One, the aggression of nations like Russia (which sits just over the North Pole from us), is a real threat. Two, we can’t depend on the U.S. to come and save us anymore.
For years, we have underspent on our safety and security and relied on big brother to protect us. Now, as we establish a more diversified economy and international defence posture, we need the strength to back up our intentions.
Bay of Quinte MP Chris Malette welcomed the news calling it a testament to the commitment the government is making, while calling it great news for 8 Wing CFB Trenton, and I agree. The women and men who protect our sovereignty and our very lives deserve the best equipment, compensation equal to the risks they take, and more people on the front lines to keep the truth north strong and free.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
