Ottawa

Bombing runs and budget funds: Canada’s two massive military challenges

Evan Solomon and David Perry hash out Liberal headaches on the military file.

Two massive military challenges face the Liberal government. First, what will they do about the mission in Iraq and Syria? With just over 55 days left until the mandate granted under the Harper government ends, the Liberals are running out of time to fulfill their campaign promise of pulling out Canada’s CF-18 fighter jets. But they still haven’t announced their own alternative plan. That has Canada’s allies frustrated. The second challenge is just as urgent: funding the military. There are huge capital costs that have to be spent just to maintain the military at its most basic level. These are not negotiable. That means the new government will have to make difficult choices on the things like the number of jets and ships it can buy, what capability it can afford—and whether or not the Liberals are willing to invest billions more into the military.

Evan Solomon spoke with David Perry, a senior analyst at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, on hard choices ahead for Canada’s military.

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