The biggest reality check came from Auditor General Denis Desautels who warned that the Forces will never get the money they need if they continue the troubling practice of denying Parliament specific information about their state of readiness. Mr. Desautels credited senior Forces managers for finding ways of doing more with less and using inventive means to cope with budgets that were cut by roughly 25 per cent during the 1990s. But, he warned, until they develop the criteria to give politicians a clear, objective status report of the Forces capability, they will continue to have difficulty convincing the government to give them the money they need. The extra funds are to be announced tomorrow as part of the government's regular supplementary estimates. Lewis MacKenzie, an outspoken military critic, said Mr. Eggleton shouldn't overplay the extra infusion of funds.
Quality of life is a nation's obligation to their men and women in uniform.
But it doesn't permit the purchase of equipment on the must-have list. Some of that money, I'm told, has already been spent. Last week, the head of the military raised serious questions about the Forces' state of readiness at a symposium. Liberal MP David Pratt, chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, said he expects the subject of military budgets to be the committee's main topic of business in the coming months. I think there is still a recognition that a lot more needs to done as far as adding resources to the department.