Canada pays $1.6M to ship $5M in aid to Ukraine

The Canadian government spent $1.6 million to ship $5 million worth of surplus tents, sleeping bags and other military goods last August to Ukraine, according to figures obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.

The equipment, sent by Canadian Forces aircraft, included sleeping bags the military estimates are worth $437 each and four-man tents worth $420.

Helmets, and ballistic eyewear, as well as medical supplies, were also transported.

The shipment proved to be a public relations bonanza for the Conservative government, which is courting the Ukrainian-Canadian vote in the upcoming federal election.

The Canadian Forces paid for much of the transport price tag out of its budget. The figure was in addition to the regular cost of personnel and equipment. Some of the transport cost was also covered by the Foreign Affairs budget.

“To expedite delivery of these items, the Government of Canada concluded that using its military aircraft was the most efficient option,” Foreign Affairs spokesman François Lasalle stated in an email about the August 2014 shipments. “Canada is committed to standing with the people of Ukraine in the face of Putin’s military aggression,” he added.

In November, the Canadian government spent another $485,000 to ship some surplus coats, pants, boots and gloves to Ukraine by military aircraft.

Department of National Defence insiders say the government decided against providing money directly to Ukraine since there were concerns about whether the equipment purchased would actually be handed over to security forces there.

Ukraine has a robust black market and is considered the most corrupt country in Europe. Some U.S. military goods donated earlier to Ukraine, such as combat rations, later turned up for sale to the public.

Donating actual gear also allowed for the Conservative government to highlight Canada’s role in the crisis in Ukraine, defence officials say.

Conservative MP James Bezan, who was the parliamentary defence secretary at the time, travelled on such supply flights on two occasions. He is of Ukrainian heritage and has a large number of Canadian-Ukrainians in his riding.

Foreign Affairs issued a press release highlighting Bezan’s role in the August 2014 flights, including a photo showing the MP greeting Ukrainian officers.

Some of the added expenses for the August supply runs included hotels and meals for the photo team that was sent to chronicle the equipment donation.

Other costs included civilian overtime and ground transportation for moving the gear from Montreal and Canadian Forces Base Petawawa to the air force base at Trenton, Ont. The bulk of the money, however, was for the cost of the flying time, since that was not originally budgeted for by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The Canadian Forces, which had been dealing with financial cutbacks imposed by the Conservative government, wanted to ensure that it didn’t have to pay for the cost of the flights from its own budget.

Bezan’s presence on the flight initially surprised the air force as it had been given short notice the MP was travelling on one of the planes.

The flights from Trenton to Ukraine were originally estimated to cost $3.5 million, according to the documents, but in the end that was scaled back.

“The RCAF conducted two flights to transport non-lethal military materials to ... Ukraine,” stated DND spokeswoman Ashley Lemire in an email. “The flights did not interfere with ongoing CAF operations.”

But according to other documents

The RCAF conducted two flights to transport non-lethal military materials to ... Ukraine.

the military had informed the Privy Council Office, that while the supplies could be delivered, one of the transport planes was required elsewhere for other duties.

Ukrainians have been fighting each other for more than a year, with government troops battling Russian-supported rebels who want to separate.

Canada has been a key supporter for Ukraine’s government. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pledged $400 million in loans to help Ukraine’s near-bankrupt government.

Some former diplomats have pointed out the Conservative government’s support is more geared toward domestic politics than international affairs in that Canada’s more than one million Ukrainian-Canadians are potentially a gamechanging voting bloc in October’s federal election.

An Ottawa Citizen analysis last year identified 12 ridings where such voters could help sway the outcome of an election. In six of the ridings, Conservative candidates won victories in 2011 of fewer than 1,000 votes and in some cases just several hundred votes.

The government’s stance against Russia’s involvement in the crisis in Ukraine has been warmly welcomed by Canada’s Ukrainian community. Paul Grod, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, who accompanied Harper on his June 2015 trip to Ukraine, has praised the prime minister’s leadership and Canada’s strong stand against Russia.

But questions have been raised by some inside the military about whether the donated surplus equipment was actually worth $5 million.

Much of the gear had been in storage.

For the August 2014 shipment, Canada supplied 30,000 pairs of ballistic eyewear, 2,300 bulletproof vests, 350 first aid kits, 7,000 helmets, 735 sleeping bags and 100 tents.

In November 2014 the Canadian government announced it would provide even more surplus gear.