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OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has ruled out any cuts to the number of men and women in uniform — making more difficult the Liberal government’s promise to transform the military into a leaner, more agile and better-equipped force.

The comments will be welcome news to military personnel worried the Liberals would shrink their numbers after troops levels were expanded by the Conservatives. But it also means the government will have to find other places to cut as the military’s financial situation is unsustainable.

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The question of troop levels was prompted by the government’s promise to conduct Canada’s first real defence review in a generation. Speaking at a defence conference Thursday, Sajjan did not provide specifics on how the review will be conducted, but did say he hopes it will be finished by the end of the year.

“We need to consider what role we want Canada, and our military, to play on the world stage,” he said. “Our government is committed to a policy of re-engagement with the world. We need a defence vision that is firmly grounded in our broader foreign policy objectives, and that reflects the aspirations of Canada.”