Tag Archives: Peter MacKay

Canadians oppose Afghan mission extension

A recent poll by EKOS Research has determined that Canadians oppose the idea of extending Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan by a more than two to one margin (Jane Taber, “Canadians shut door on Afghan combat mission,” Globe and Mail, 8 April 2010). The poll also shows that a plurality of Canadians continue to oppose the […]

Army shelves Close Combat Vehicle purchase

The Ottawa Citizen reports (David Pugliese, Combat vehicles for army on hold, document shows, Ottawa Citizen, 21 January 2010) that the purchase of a new fleet of Close Combat Vehicles (CCVs) for the army has been postponed by the Harper government. Although the CCV purchase had been promised as a top priority by Defence Minister Peter MacKay, Public Works […]

MacKay Denies Knowing of Afghan Torture Reports

Defence Minister Peter MacKay claims that he was never informed that the detainees Canadian forces were handing over to Afghan authorities faced the possibility of being tortured. This statement follows the public release of an affidavit given to the Military Police Compaints Commission (MPCC) last Wednesday, where former senior diplomat Richard Colvin says that he […]

Defence spending touted as "bringing great benefits" in midst of Recession

Speaking this past month at CANSEC, Canada’s largest annual defence trade show, Minister of Defence Peter MacKay reassured his audience that despite the country’s current economic situation defence contracts are secure. In a recent article about the trade show by Mike Blanchfield of the Canwest News Service MacKay is quoted as saying “The funding will be there, […]

Military Spending Unaffected by Recession

Despite the dismal economic climate and an impending $50 billion deficit, the Canadian government is intent on increasing current levels of defence spending. Speaking to an audience of industry and military representatives at a security and defence trade show, Defence Minister Peter MacKay assured attendees “the funding will be there…it’s locked in.” Much of the […]