As wildfires force thousands of Canadians from their homes, Canada is launching one of the biggest increases in defence and security spending in our nation’s history.  

Canada has committed to spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence and security by 2035. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates it will push core military spending to $159 billion a year by 2035.

The scale is extraordinary. It represents a choice to devote a huge share of Canada’s economic resources to protecting the country.

Which raises the question: What will actually make Canadians safer?

Canada’s F-35 program is expected to cost almost $20 billion just to acquire the fleet, and nearly $74 billion over its full life-cycle. By comparison, Ottawa recently committed $317 million over five years to establish a new national aerial firefighting surge capacity. Billions for foreign-built military fighters. Millions for a leased wildfire response fleet, but no direct federal purchase of Canadian-built DHC-515 waterbombers, even as those aircraft are in short supply as wildfires threaten Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

There are legitimate reasons to consider strengthening Canada’s capacity to respond to military threats. But is this our most pressing need when it comes to protecting the safety and security of Canadians?

For many of us,........

© National Observer