Canadians expect the government to ensure their safety and the safety of service members

NDP critic for National Defence, Lindsay Mathyssen, made the following statement:

“Canadians expect their government and Canada’s military to defend our country, protect Canadians at home, and contribute to a more stable and peaceful world. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to escalate and the technological advances of other countries increase, Canadians expect our government to keep our country and service members safe by ensuring our shared defence priorities with the United States are met.

Reforms are needed as, unfortunately, decades of Liberal and Conservative mismanagement have left the Canadian military with outdated and inadequate equipment. There has been insufficient support to make sure our troops feel safe at work due to the culture of misogyny that the Liberals continue to fail to address. This government has also left our Armed Forces without a clear strategic mandate as our international commitments to peacekeeping have fallen by the wayside.

The Liberals have talked about the modernization of NORAD and ensuring needed supports to members of the Canadian Armed Forces, but haven’t acted on their commitments.

New Democrats recognize that Canada must move beyond vague promises. We will fight to make sure our troops have the support, training and equipment they need to do their work safely. The NDP will also push the Liberal government to fulfil their failed promises to increase peacekeeping efforts, so that Canada can reclaim its role as a global leader in peacekeeping.”