Military isn’t starving for cash, chief of defence staff insists

OTTAWA — The country’s top soldier has pushed back on suggestions the armed forces is struggling from a lack of cash, saying he’s not convinced it is making the most of the money it already gets.

Yet chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance says he is also eager to see the government’s new defence policy, which has promised to put the military on a strong financial footing over the long term.

“The here and now is fine, we’re delivering,” Vance said in an interview with the Canadian Press. “But going forward, that’s when the government committed to sustainable, progressive armed forces.”

The question of military spending has taken on a life of its own over the last year, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on NATO allies to contribute more to their own defence.

Canada spends about one per cent of its GDP on defence, which is half the agreedupon NATO target of two per cent and puts it in the bottom half among the allies.

However, in last week’s federal budget, the federal government delayed hundreds of millions of dollars in planned equipment purchases by several years.

Vance said defence officials asked for the delay because several projects weren’t ready for the money, which Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s office has blamed on a shortage of procurement staff.

“The reprofiling was our choice,” Vance said. “I know people have a hard time believing that, but it is true. There’s no point giving us billions when we can’t spend it.”

Vance noted the government is working on a new defence policy, which is expected in early May. “We’re waiting for the defence policy review and that investment,” he said. “That’s going to be the expression of investment by the government of Canada.”

Meanwhile, the general said defence officials are looking at the current $19-billion budget to ensure it is being used as effectively as possible.