The Benefits Of Strengthening The Canadian Armed Forces Far Outweigh The Costs

By Spencer Fernando, Exclusive to the National Citizens Coalition

I recently appeared on the Ben Mulroney Show (you can listen to the episode here) to discuss the challenge of building up Canada’s military and addressing recruitment shortfalls.

During our discussion, Ben made a point that has all too often been left out when we consider investing in a stronger Canadian Armed Forces:

Rebuilding the CAF has benefits, not just costs.

It seems obvious on the face of it, but it’s striking how little attention it gets.

As Canadians, many tend to view military spending as nothing more than a burden or a grudging obligation, rather than as an investment in our long-term security and prosperity as a nation.

This mindset must change.

At a time when relying upon others is less feasible than ever, and at a time when our nation can ill-afford to be militarily vulnerable, we must shift our way of thinking about military spending.

As Ben Mulroney says, we need to focus on the benefits – not just the costs – of military investment.

What are those benefits?

To start, a military build-up would create a lot of jobs, jobs that young Canadians could fill at a time when many of our youth are struggling.

The opportunities are nearly endless.

We need construction workers to build new bases and military housing.

We need childcare workers and health workers to support military families.

We need pilots to operate not only new planes but also drones (a skill that many young gamers could quickly master).

We need AI experts.

We need sailors.

We need tank operators.

We need mechanics.

And much more…

Canadian universities would also benefit from a military expansion, as research & development budgets would attract top talent, which would in turn benefit our economy given the link between R&D investment and economic growth. Canada’s R&D investment has been declining in recent decades, particularly compared to many of our faster-grown peers. Building a powerful Canadian Armed Forces will require investment in drone technology, missile defences, autonomous systems, robots, and more, and these investments will in turn benefit the civilian economy.

A Canadian military build-up would also make our nation more resilient. Not only could we start producing more military equipment here at home, but mining and refining the resources for that equipment would create more jobs across the nation.

Further, building our weapons and equipment would lead to the growth of the Canadian defence industry, which could then be exported to our allies.

And of course, an expansion of our oil and gas sector and the construction of new pipelines would be key to a national defence buildup, since economic security is a core aspect of national security.

All of this would be a significant economic boost for our nation, at a time when we could certainly use it.

Of course, while focusing on the benefits of strengthening the CAF, there are still cost concerns to consider.

There’s no cheap way to rebuild a military that has been underfunded for years.

It will be costly.

However, the cost of building a strong military is something that serious nations are willing to accept.

Poland is raising defence spending to 4.7% of GDP and is running significant budget deficits to do so.

Lithuania is going even further, planning to hit 5%.

Despite years of stagnation, Canada has a much higher per capita GDP than both Poland and Lithuania, and our credit rating is higher than both.

This isn’t to say our debt and deficits are not a concern, but it is to say that the argument many make when discussing Canadian military spending (claiming we “can’t afford it”) is not in line with reality.

If Canada were to take the shackles off our energy sector, unleash our economy by removing impediments like the carbon tax, incentivize business investment, and exercise restraint in non-defence areas we could grow at a much faster pace, and we could well-afford the expansion of our military.

In fact, in the face of possible tariffs, a military buildup would be one of the best ways to strengthen our nation and stimulate the economy for the long term, rather than just driving up inflation in the short term.

And let’s not forget that failing to build up our military has costs.

If the world is plunged into global conflict, we would have to desperately build up our military anyway, something that would be far more difficult and far more expensive than if we start taking action now. And our allies are running out of patience with our lack of military investment.

Ultimately, Canada has put this off for far too long.

It’s time for us to get serious as a nation and take responsibility for ourselves.

We have much to gain from rebuilding the CAF, and it’s time to start getting it done.

Spencer Fernando is one of the most popular and prolific political voices in Canada. He is a writer and campaign fellow for the National Citizens Coalition. Join the mailing list to receive his exclusive weekly columns in your inbox.

For more from Spencer, visit his website, or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.