Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday, February 9, 2016 ISIS airstrikes by Canada to end by Feb. 22, training forces to triple Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will cease all coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) by Feb. 22, while it beefs up its military efforts, including the number of special forces deployed on the ground to train Iraqi forces for the next two years. Interim Conservative Party leader Rona Ambrose said this is a "step backward." "It is important to understand that while airstrike operations can be very useful to achieve short-term military and territorial gains, they do not on their own achieve long-term stability for local communities," Trudeau said during an announcement in Ottawa on Monday where he was accompanied by National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Foreign Affairs Minister StŽphane Dion and the Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau. "Canadians learned this lesson first-hand during a very difficult decade in Afghanistan, where our forces became expert military trainers renowned around the world." Trudeau said while Canada will pull its six fighter jets from the bombing mission, it will also triple, from 69, the number of Canadian Forces members helping train local ground troops to fight ISIS in northern Iraq. It will also increase by 230 the 600 Canadian Armed Forces members deployed as part coalition mission. Canada's new contribution to the global fight against ISIS will also include: Maintaining aircrew and support personnel for one CC-150 Polaris aerial refuelling aircraft and up to two CP-140 Aurora aerial surveillance aircraft. $840 million in humanitarian assistance over three years. $270 million over three years to "build local capacity" in Jordan and Lebanon, where there are a large number of refugees. An increased diplomatic presence in the region. In a written statement, Ambrose called Canada's withdrawal from the bombing mi

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, February 9, 2016

ISIS airstrikes by Canada to end by Feb. 22, training forces to triple

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will cease all coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) by Feb. 22, while it beefs up its military efforts, including the number of special forces deployed on the ground to train Iraqi forces for the next two years.

Interim Conservative Party leader Rona Ambrose said this is a “step backward.”

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday November 19, 2015 Fact Check: Will the return of the long-form census save money? The voluntary process actually cost an additional $22 million. Making it mandatory will actually make it less expensive, (and) it will be on budget and on time." -- Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains The Trudeau Liberals, in one of their first acts in government, brought back the long-form census. Bains proclaimed the decision wouldn't cost taxpayers anything more than what is already budgeted for the 2016 census. Indeed, the minister, who oversees Statistics Canada, said taxpayers are likely to save some cash with the return of the mandatory, long-form census. Will Statistics Canada save money with the return of the mandatory questionnaire? Spoiler alert: The Canadian Press Baloney Meter is a dispassionate examination of political statements culminating in a ranking of accuracy on a scale of "no baloney" to "full of baloney" (complete methodology through this link). http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/fact-check-will-the-return-of-the-long-form-census-save-money-1.2654881 This one receives a finding of "a little baloney" -- it is largely accurate about the mandatory census costing less than the voluntary survey, but there are details missing that would help determine the actual savings figure. The government will save money because the mandatory survey is less costly to administer than the voluntary version, experts say. "There are at least a couple of significant reasons why there would be savings" Fellegi said. "I mean, not gobs of money, but savings." The savings start with the number of people hired to help with the census. For the 2016 census, Statistics Canada is hiring 1,400 people for the data centre that processes responses. Statistics Canada needs all those bodies to handle answers and followup with Canadians who don't fill in the form either because they didn't want to, forgot to, or mi

“It is important to understand that while airstrike operations can be very useful to achieve short-term military and territorial gains, they do not on their own achieve long-term stability for local communities,” Trudeau said during an announcement in Ottawa on Monday where he was accompanied by National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion and the Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau.

“Canadians learned this lesson first-hand during a very difficult decade in Afghanistan, where our forces became expert military trainers renowned around the world.”

Harper’s retreat in 2009

Trudeau said while Canada will pull its six fighter jets from the bombing mission, it will also triple, from 69, the number of Canadian Forces members helping train local ground troops to fight ISIS in northern Iraq. It will also increase by 230 the 600 Canadian Armed Forces members deployed as part coalition mission.

Canada’s new contribution to the global fight against ISIS will also include:

  • Maintaining aircrew and support personnel for one CC-150 Polaris aerial refuelling aircraft and up to two CP-140 Aurora aerial surveillance aircraft.
  • $840 million in humanitarian assistance over three years.
  • $270 million over three years to “build local capacity” in Jordan and Lebanon, where there are a large number of refugees.
  • An increased diplomatic presence in the region.

In a written statement, Ambrose called Canada’s withdrawal from the bombing mission against ISIS a “step backward for Canada.”

“Today, in his first major foreign policy decision, the prime minister has shown that Canada is not ‘back.’ In fact, this prime minister is taking a shameful step backward from our proud traditions by pulling our CF-18s and Canada out of a combat role against the greatest terror threat in the world,” she said in the statement.

Ambrose said increasing the number of special forces in a training capacity and the additional humanitarian assistance “are only designed to distract Canadians from the withdrawal of our CF-18s.” (Source: CBC News)