PBI statement: “The dominant security discourse associated with the militarization of societies is a setback. Billions more spent on weapons will not make the world safer.” The CANSEC arms fair will take place in Ottawa this coming June 1-2. CANSEC is organized by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Read more…
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. The CBC reports: “The federal budget is expected to pour up to $8 billion in new money into the Department of National Defence.” With $24.3 billion already budgeted for the military in 2021-22, this could push spending to $32.3 billion this year and if maintained $40.7 Read more…
The Banking on Climate Chaos: Fossil Fuel Finance Report 2022 finds that: “Fossil fuel financing from the world’s 60 largest banks has reached USD $4.6 trillion in the six years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, with $742 billion in fossil fuel financing in 2021 alone.” Among the top Read more…
Photo: About 88,420 people have signed a petition from the Stop F-35 campaign in Switzerland in opposition to their government’s planned CHF 25 billion (CAD $33.7 billion) purchase of 36 F-35s. On Monday March 28, Defence Minister Anita Anand and Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi announced the Canadian government had chosen Read more…
The Canadian Press reports: “The Liberal government is expected to announce today it will enter into final negotiations on purchasing the F-35 fighter jet. Government and industry sources have told The Canadian Press the negotiations with manufacturer Lockheed Martin will be announced at a news conference this afternoon.” The Globe Read more…
Photo: Canadian air force ground crew arms a CF-18 fighter jet while deployed in Iraq. “The dominant security discourse associated with the militarization of societies is a setback.” – Peace Brigades International Canada could see a massive spike in military spending when the federal budget is tabled in the House Read more…
The Government of Canada’s Future fighter capability project webpage notes that a contract will be awarded in 2022 for “88 advanced fighter aircraft”. Yesterday, Major-General Eric Kenny, commander of the Canadian NORAD region, also commented he expects the decision within the year. While suggesting the possibility of a delay, the Read more…
Just before the RCMP raid against Wet’suwet’en land defenders in February 2020, this march in Ottawa said “RCMP off Wet’suwet’en land”. Photo by Brent Patterson. Wet’suwet’en land defender Sleydo’ has described the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) as a specialized group of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that deal specifically Read more…
Photo: An F-35 at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. In this Globe and Mail opinion piece, University of Calgary political science professor Rob Huebert argues that Canada must buy F-35s given the threat of Russia’s military capacity and the “emerging battleground” of the Arctic. Among other actions, Huebert notes Read more…
Photo: CF-18 in Libya, 2011. On December 18, the New York Times reported on the U.S. airstrikes that have claimed the lives of civilians in numerous countries. Aljazeera summarizes: “The report, based on a trove of confidential Pentagon documents covering more than 1,300 reports of civilian casualties, undercuts the US Read more…