Discussion · Government Orders
James Bezan Conservative
“The government is using misleading accounting by counting civilian groups as defence spending. They count all Coast Guard money as defence, even though the Coast Guard is civilian and cannot fight in a conflict. They also moved Transport Canada planes to defence instead of buying the equipment we actually need.”
“Madam Speaker, I am pleased to get up again. The member for Edmonton West was talking about the ongoing creative accounting. The Coast Guard is a case in point. It is a civilian organization that does a great job at navigation research, icebreaking and policing our fishery, but it does not have any constabulary power at all. It told the defence committee that although 100% of its funding is now calculated under National Defence, it is only a civilian organization, and that if it runs into any threats of a hot conflict developing between Canada and an adversary, it would flee the situation. I would like my colleague to talk about the other creative accounting we are seeing from the Liberals, as with Transport Canada aircraft, that has been moved to National Defence, rather than them buying the kit we need to keep Canada safe.”
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to get up again. The member for Edmonton West was talking about the ongoing creative accounting. The Coast Guard is a case in point. It is a civilian organization that does a great job at navigation research, icebreaking and policing our fishery, but it does not have any constabulary power at all. It told the defence committee that although 100% of its funding is now calculated under National Defence, it is only a civilian organization, and that if it runs into any threats of a hot conflict developing between Canada and an adversary, it would flee the situation. I would like my colleague to talk about the other creative accounting we are seeing from the Liberals, as with Transport Canada aircraft, that has been moved to National Defence, rather than them buying the kit we need to keep Canada safe.