Paying for Security

by John Thompson

March 5, 2002

The attacks of September 11^th were a wake-up call to Ottawa which, after hitting the snooze button for a week or so, started to make serious noises about improving security. With the budget, they had the chance to put $7.7 Billion of our money where their mouth is — and so they did, but not too deeply. This really amounts to a much less impressive $1.54 Billion in our annual collective security premiums for the next five years.

The RCMP watched the 1990s go by with a constantly eroding budget — a dozen million or so pared away now and again and no increases to match inflation. They will be able to catch-up to where they were around 1993. Of course, if the RCMP is returning in strength back to the nation’s airports, the new monies might vanish quickly.

Likewise, CSIS has been heavily tasked and lightly funded in recent years. The new budget has provided them with the largest increase in their history and might go far to handle their backlog in security investigations and let them spend a bit more time on other roles besides counter-terrorism. Of course, the new Federal Security regulations in Bill C-42 will mean thousands more security clearances will have be completed as quickly as possible, but CSIS should be able to manage it.

Ottawa is finally learning the value of timely intelligence and the budget confirmed the addition of $37 million to the furtive CSE — Canada’s own electronic intelligence organization. Of course, the organization’s ability to process the take from their numerous antennas has decayed. Part of the new money is for powerful new computers to process the enormous amounts of raw data they receive.

Airport security is going to cost $2.2 Billion, but will be offset by an extra $24 security levy (plus GST) on a return ticket. Expenditures here should be matched by a renewed confidence in air travel, and are a sensible investment. Our naked vulnerability to the growing risk of biological and chemical terrorism will be slightly offset by an increased number of specialists and equipment in our military and emergency measures organizations — the spending of $513 million over five years will help with our deficiencies.

Ottawa is finally recognizing that frontline security also rests with our customs and immigration officers; both groups are getting an increased $2.6 billion in funding to cover increased responsibilities. Of course, Canada Customs and Immigration have been under-funded for years.

The worst news is for the Canadian Military — now entering their 13^th straight year of real budget reductions. The Auditor General, our friends and Allies and even the Liberal’s own MPs in the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veteran’s Affairs (SCONDVA), have clearly told the Liberals that the Armed Forces are in serious trouble.

The military is getting new money — although it remains to be seen how much of their $240 million in annual new largess is going to stretch. Budgetary legerdemain being what it is, it may be that the increased funding might be expected to cover the Military’s contributions to airport security and emergency measures organizations.

Brian MacDonald told SCONDVA that — without massive amounts of capital funding — the Armed Forces face a severe crisis in 2010, when almost all of our current armoured vehicles, warships and combat aircraft will reach the end of their service lives at the same time. Our 1960-era Leopard tanks might have new computers inside them, but they were still designed at the same time the Edsel came out.

Our Army can be likened to a blunt and rusty sword… with a shiny well-honed tip: The tiny JTF-2 Commando is going to be an overworked group of 250 well-trained soldiers while the remaining 18,000 regular soldiers will be condemned to continue to work with obsolescent vehicles, inadequate training and a shortage of equipment. Our 20,000 Army reservists are even worse off. The budget has provisions to sharpen up the tip of our sword even more… but what happens when the rest of the blade falls apart?

John Thompson is President of the Mackenzie Institute which studies political instability and terrorism. He can be reached at: institute@mackenzieinstitute.com

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