Incoming defence chief must be set up for success
For Defence Minister Bill Blair’s new defence policy to take life prior to the next election, he’ll need to declare “war” on the bureaucratic apparatus that tolerates delay over delivery.
I’ve posted the first half of my latest Star column below; if you want to see how it ends, you have the choice of buying the Wednesday hardcopy, signing up for the $65 (pre-tax rebate) annual digital subscription via the newspaper website, or accessing the piece via your Apple News App. If you’re interested in reading more about the state of our military, I’ve posted on the topic a couple of times over the past six months (see prior post “Hitting NATO’s 2% target a pipe dream without addressing Ottawa’s faux procurement machine” Mar 26-24 and “RCN ‘facing some very serious challenges,’ says Commander” Dec 5-23).
If you think the world seems scary right now, you’re not alone.
As he prepares for a well-deserved retirement, we should heed the parting assessment of Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) Wayne Eyre: “The world is a far more dangerous place than at any time in recent memory.” To some, “Freedom isn’t Free” is nothing more than words on a bumper sticker – but sacrifice is a reality for thousands of our servicemen and women, as well as their families. They’re the ones we turn to when the chips are down.
The least we can do is pay attention when their Boss sends up a flare.
With a war in Ukraine, tensions in the Taiwan Strait, attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, offshore drug running throughout our hemisphere, and domestic deployments (think forest fires and floods) totalling 131 calendar days last year, I don’t envy General Eyre’s daily reality. When I asked him to describe his “key challenge” following a March 2024 Canada Company speech in downtown Toronto, his answer was both surprising and demoralizing: "Bureaucracy. What keeps me up at night is something I've been calling harmful bureaucracy.”
It was quite the bombshell coming from someone responsible for 100,000 regular and reserve personnel. Canada’s top General may have ~1,000 Canadians currently serving abroad as a deterrence to Russian aggression against Ukraine’s NATO neighbours, yet he finds middle-level Ottawa bureaucrats to be his worst nightmare. Literally.
The good news is that the federal government has released a new defence policy for Canada: “Our North, Strong and Free.” The better news is that Prime Minister Trudeau has a short list of highly-qualified candidates to replace Gen. Eyre. Whether it be Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan,Vice-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie, or any one of a number of other fine senior leaders within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), “selecting the right person will be foundational to ensuring the future viability of the CAF,” says former Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, VAdm Mark Norman.
As an Honorary Captain, I know firsthand how deeply committed CAF members are to serving Canadians. Whomever Trudeau picks as General Eyre’s replacement over the coming days, they need to be set-up for success. That’s where things get tricky.
Hit the link to read the rest.
MRM
(this post is an Opinion Piece; it reflects a personal view and is in no way to be taken as being authorized or approved by any other party)