Barton preaches defence spending, but Sajjan says Ottawa spent $2.3B too little
OTTAWA — The federal government spent $2.3 billion less than originally planned last year on new military gear, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan revealed Wednesday, even as a prominent economic adviser to the Liberals sang the praises of investing in the defence sector.
The spending shortage, which will require Canada’s military to continue to use some equipment longer than expected, means the government is already losing ground on the promise it made last year to invest $62 billion in the Forces over the next 20 years.
The mixed messages came during the first day of the two-day Cansec gathering in Ottawa, Canada’s largest annual arms show, where officials from the world’s biggest defence companies descend on the national capital to pitch their wares to the government and military.
Sajjan kicked off the event with an update on the Liberal government’s new defence policy — a blueprint that details the specific equipment the military intends to buy over the next five years.