Discussion · Government Orders
Kelly McCauley Conservative
“The government says it is meeting its defence spending goals, but it is counting things like scientific studies and counting fish as defence spending. It should focus on buying the weapons and equipment our military actually needs.”
“Madam Speaker, yes, there were a lot of concerns expressed by the PBO with respect to transparency, the government’s ability to hide debt and other issues with Crown corporations. One of the other issues we heard about, which the member for Winnipeg North was going on about, is meeting the 2%. At committee, the Coast Guard came and told us that its money is now being counted as defence spending, even though it is for activities such as counting fish and scientific studies. This is the 2% the government is bragging about. Again, it needs to focus on procuring the weapons and equipment that our defence department and our men and women in uniform need, not playing that counting fish is a defence activity.”
Official Hansard
Madam Speaker, yes, there were a lot of concerns expressed by the PBO with respect to transparency, the government’s ability to hide debt and other issues with Crown corporations. One of the other issues we heard about, which the member for Winnipeg North was going on about, is meeting the 2%. At committee, the Coast Guard came and told us that its money is now being counted as defence spending, even though it is for activities such as counting fish and scientific studies. This is the 2% the government is bragging about. Again, it needs to focus on procuring the weapons and equipment that our defence department and our men and women in uniform need, not playing that counting fish is a defence activity.