Prime Minister Harper has shuffled his cabinet, desperately putting the best possible face on the ministry as it prepares for the 2015 election. It might be an uphill struggle, so savagely has the government been battered in recent months. New faces, new possibilities, new Tory hopes. But what about Defence, where Rob Nicholson, one with no previous military experience or evident interest, is now the minister?
When Harper came to power at the beginning of 2006, the Canadian Forces was a high priority. The war in Afghanistan, new equipment, more troops, and much more money — the Tories promised action, and they largely delivered. But only for a few years. As casualties mounted in Kandahar, as the costs of equipment soared, and as the 2008 economic crash reverberated, the military slipped off the priority list. Yes, there is still much more funding for the troops than in 2005, but the balloon of optimism has deflated completely.
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Op-Ed: Nicholson inherits a mess at Defence
When Harper came to power at the beginning of 2006, the Canadian Forces was a high priority. The war in Afghanistan, new equipment, more troops, and much more money — the Tories promised action, and they largely delivered. But only for a few years. As casualties mounted in Kandahar, as the costs of equipment soared, and as the 2008 economic crash reverberated, the military slipped off the priority list. Yes, there is still much more funding for the troops than in 2005, but the balloon of optimism has deflated completely.
more
Op-Ed: Nicholson inherits a mess at Defence
