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Prime Minster Justin Trudeau promised Canadians that he would “invest in our Armed Forces,” but to date he has not explained how he will do so. Rather, on April 6, the National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced not a review to develop a new defence policy, but a “defence consultation” meant to “help set future direction and priorities” for the Canadian Forces.

Why has the government launched this complicated public consultation, instead of a focused defence policy review? Previous policy reviews always provided opportunities for citizens, scholars, and defence-related organizations and institutes to contribute directly to such policy reviews. Why could a wide survey of Canadian’s opinions on defence policy not be incorporated into a comprehensive review?

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It appears that Trudeau’s consultations are merely intended to cloak until next year or beyond the government’s intention to make deep cuts to the Canadian Forces and the defence budget. This isn’t a new approach. Prime minister Jean Chrétien used the same tactics in 1994