Trudeau Liberals boost military spending, pledge domestic deployment to uphold 'civil authority'

The Trudeau Liberals announced more funding for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), while detailing deployment at home to uphold “civil authority.”

On Monday, a reporter sought clarification on how the military would assist law enforcement in Canada. “We’ve called upon the Canadian Armed Forces many times over the past three years to help Canadians respond to wildfires, for floods, for hurricanes,” replied Defence Minister Bill Blair.

“When Canadians needed someone to come to their rescue, we turned to the Canadian Armed Forces,” he said. “And I have to ensure that they have the capability to continue to be there for Canadians.”

The announcement is part of an $8.1 billion commitment by the Department of National Defence over the next five years amid ongoing recruitment challenges.

It follows a secret RCMP report that forewarned more civil unrest should Canadian taxpayers realize the extent of their fleeting financial security.

According to the report, “authoritarian movements have been on the rise in many liberal-democratic nations” which populists have capitalized on due to “the rise of political polarization and conspiracy theories” to breed “extremist movements.”

On February 14, 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to grant cabinet extra-judicial powers to deter the 2022 Freedom Convoy. It permitted the freezing of bank accounts, detaining protesters, and mobilizing troops on Canadian soil to disrupt the three-week gridlock of the nation’s capital.

Justice Paul Rouleau, who oversaw the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) to review the use of emergency powers, noted the convoy was rooted in a "loss of faith in government" and "economic hardship" caused by the government's pandemic response. 

He wrote that the "peaceful demonstrations," to oppose the draconian pandemic mandates, surprised him.

At the forefront of those economic woes is the federal carbon tax, which increased to $80 per tonne with annual $15 hikes expected until 2030.

Thousands of Canadians continue to protest the tax hike at 15 interprovincial border crossings across Canada.

“We are reaching out to truckers, farmers, business owners, and individuals who feel the weight of these changes,” reads a statement by the group Nationwide Protest Against the Carbon Tax.

Organizers clarified that at least one centre lane must remain open for traffic at each location where a strike will occur. “We will continue the peaceful event until our goals are achieved, regardless of duration,” they said.

Conservative MP Philip Lawrence earlier asked the Bank of Canada governor for how long a period ending the carbon tax would reduce inflation. Tiff Macklem said one year.

On October 30, he told the Commons finance committee it "would create a one-time drop in inflation of 0.6 percentage points" from the current rate of 3.8%.

Alex Dhaliwal

COMMENTS

Be the first to comment

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.