[sust-mar] Budget 2021: Federal government giving more money to NATO! This is why we must oppose NATO.

Mon Apr 19 18:56:51 EDT 2021

Hello Sust-Mar,

I have copied some of the salient points related to military spending from Budget 2021. I have also copied the link to the PDF of Budget 2021 so you can read it for yourself. Below, I have also copied key documents related to planned spending for National Defence and Veterans Affairs so you can see proposed military spending.

With Budget 2021, the Government of Canada is giving more money to NATO, a nuclear-armed military alliance involved in illegal wars and occupations! More money for war in the Middle East. Money for collaboration with Israeli science and technology firms that are involved in an illegal occupation of Palestinian land. Spending money for a memorial to the victims of communism. These are really bad investments for militarism!

*Notice, Budget 2021 says "This funding demonstrates Canada's unwavering commitment to NATO and will strengthen this country's capacity to respond to evolving global security challenges."(p. 290) https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/home-accueil-en.html

*Remember Canada reports defence spending of $30 billion to NATO: https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2021/3/pdf/210316-pr-2020-30-en.pdf (page 6) and Canada is ranked 14th highest in the world for military spending according to SIPRI: https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/fs_2020_04_milex_0_0.pdf (page 2, $22 billion USD = $30 billion CAD). We spend at least 15X on the military than the Department of Environment and Climate Change.

Budget 2021 proposes to provide $17.6 billion towards a green recovery to create jobs, build a clean economy, and fight and protect against climate change. That's 20% of what Canada will spend on new fighter jets ($77 billion). Canada's planned investment of $30 billion over five years for childcare, reaching $8 billion annually is still less than 30% of what the federal government spends on the military that does not provide any defence to the real challenges we are facing: pandemic, poverty, catastrophic climate change and ecological collapse).

We are going to spend $900 million more for NATO over the next 5 years and only $165 million for international humanitarian assistance over the next 5 years (see page. 297 & 298 of Budget 2021: https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/home-accueil-en.html)

Finally, meeting our so-called NATO and NORAD objectives are why we are buying fighter jets and building warships etc... Canada is also going to spend over $500 million for a militarized Middle East Strategy!  #DefundTheMilitary

*NATO is one of our main problems and must be resisted. Canada out of NATO (and NORAD)!

Don't forget, this is important!: WEBINAR: YOUTH SUMMIT AGAINST NATO
Saturday, April 24, 2021
11:00 AM (ET) / 17:00 (CEST)
https://www.ipb.org/events/youth-summit-against-nato/

Please see more below.

Thanks,
Tamara

***
Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience
https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/home-accueil-en.html

"Increasing Canada's Contributions to NATO: Since its creation in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been a cornerstone of Canadian defence  policy. In 2019, Canada committed to increase its contribution to the NATO Readiness Initiative, an agreement to enhance the pool of high-readiness forces and capabilities available for collective defence and crisis response. To follow through on this commitment and invest in a ready and capable collective defence force to help keep Canadians safe." (p. 290)

"Budget 2021 proposes to provide $541.2 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, to the Department of National Defence to maintain an additional six fighter aircraft and a frigate as part of the NATO Readiness Initiative. Budget 2021 also proposes to provide up to $305.9 million over five years, starting in 2020-21, to the Department of National Defence to cover higher Canadian contributions to NATO's common budget and military activities." (p. 290)

"This funding demonstrates Canada's unwavering commitment to NATO and will strengthen this country's capacity to respond to evolving global security challenges." (p. 290).

About fighter jets: "Ensuring Procurement Partners Respect Canada's Economic Interests In December 2017, the government announced that the evaluation of bids for the competition to replace Canada's fighter aircraft would include an assessment of bidders' impact on Canada's economic interests, and that any bidder that had harmed Canada's economic interests would be disadvantaged. Budget 2021 confirms the government will apply this policy to major military and Coast Guard procurements going forward. Companies found to have prejudiced Canada's economic interests through trade challenges will have points deducted from their procurement bid score at a level proportional to the severity of the economic impact, to a maximum penalty. This policy will protect Canada's economic interests and make sure the government does business with trusted partners who value doing business with Canada" (p. 292)

"Extending Canada's Middle East Strategy
Since 2016, Canada has been a major contributor to the international response to the crisis in Iraq, Syria, and neighbouring countries. Canada has worked with
its allies to reduce instability in the region and counter terrorism by groups like Daesh through the NATO Mission in Iraq and Operation IMPACT. While there has been progress, the situation remains fragile. To continue providing development, humanitarian, and military support and advance peace and stability in the region:
Budget 2021 proposes to provide $527 million in 2021-22, on a cash basis, to Global Affairs Canada, the Department of National Defence, the Communications Security Establishment, and the Canadian Security. Intelligence Service to extend Canada's Middle East Strategy for another year." (p. 294)

"Modernizing the Department of National Defence's Information Systems."

OTHER IMPORTANT GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS RELATED TO MILITARY SPENDING:

National Defence Consolidated Future-Oriented Statement of Operations 2021-22 Departmental Plan (unaudited)(planned spending $23 billion)
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/departmental-plans/departmental-plan-2021-22/foso.html

National Defence Departmental Plan 2021-2022 (full document)
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/departmental-plans/departmental-plan-2021-22.html
Future fighter capability mentioned on p. 7

Veterans Affairs Plan 2021-2022 (Annual spending $6 billion)
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/pdf/about-vac/publications-reports/reports/departmental-plan/2021-2022/vac-2021-22-departmental-plan.pdf

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) "Trends in Global Military Spending" 2020: https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/fs_2020_04_milex_0_0.pdf

NATO Defence Expenditure Report (March 2021): https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2021/3/pdf/210316-pr-2020-30-en.pdf
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