Date: 2025-08-24 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00029005
CANADA
PM CARNEY VISITS TRENTON AIR BASE
Canada PM Mark Carney Announces Major Defense Shake-Up | Military Strategy Revealed | AC15
PM CARNEY VISITS TRENTON AIR BASE
Canada PM Mark Carney Announces Major Defense Shake-Up | Military Strategy Revealed | AC15
Original article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhHgjnksmRk
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
Transcript
- 0:04
- Oh, I see. Okay. All right. All right. Well, thank you everybody.
- Um, by way of introduction, my name is Chris Mlette. I'm your uh member of parliament
- for the Bay of Quinty. And uh I'm immensely proud of this place. Uh, as
- I'm sure they're all tired of me saying, I uh I worked here extensively in the
- 1990s as a newspaper reporter working out of uh the daily newspaper in Belleville. I deployed with the men and
- women of this place. I uh I spent many many many adventures in the field
- in uh in some far away places. I've seen the good work the people here do. uh on
- retirement. I loved the place so much I came back as a commissioner and the air terminal that we just all
- came through was my uh was my workspace on a part-time basis. And to the point
- 1:02
- where I even had some of the chaps there were saying to me, 'Okay, Mr. MP, when are you going to get the air
- 1:08
- conditioning fixed in that front door that doesn't seem to want to open?' So, I do have a deep and abiding love for
- 1:14
- this place and the men and women. That's why it's an honor to stand here today at 8-wing CFB Trenton, one of the
- 1:20
- most critical pillars of our national defense system and a vital economic and cultural hub of this writing.
- 1:27
- It and the 5,000 plus serving members, civilian employees, and their families
- 1:32
- are proud symbols of service, sacrifice, and collaboration. This base and the
- 1:37
- people who serve here play an essential role not only in the Bay of Quenty region, but across our country and
- 1:44
- around the world. and we thank you deeply for your commitment. Last month and also in attendance today,
- 1:50
- Minister of National Defense David McGinty joined us here in Trenton for a tour and an extensive tour. It was an
- 1:58
- announcement and a town hall listening session was held with CIF members and it was an eye openener I'm sure for the
- 2:04
- minister. I know his visit in July was well appreciated by those on this base
- 2:10
- and thank you for being here again minister. The fact you've come here to Trenton twice in just about a month is a sign of
- 2:18
- your deep commitment to eight-wing CF Trenton and the entire military as a whole. Now, as your member of
- 2:25
- Parliament, I'm especially proud to welcome a leader who understands the weight of service, not only in
- 2:31
- government, but in piloting our nation through some of its most turbulent and complex global challenges. and he's a
- 2:38
- leader who fully understands and supports that the Canadian Armed Forces are a critical part of this equation.
- 2:46
- Mark Carney has spent his entire career navigating storms, economic, political,
- 2:52
- and strengthening our nation. Now, as Prime Minister, he brings that same clarity and calm resolve to the
- 2:59
- challenges we face at home and abroad. He knows in an everchanging global
- 3:04
- order, we need the expertise and skills that the Canadian Armed Forces can bring
- 3:10
- as a stabilizing force domestically and internationally.
- 3:15
- It is a privilege then to welcome him here today to the heart of our military community here in Trenton, where
- 3:21
- leadership, duty, and service are not just words, but a way of life. So,
- 3:26
- please join me in welcoming our prime minister, the Right Honorable Mark Carney.
- 3:35
- Thank you. Thank you. Thank you everyone. Good afternoon. Uh
- 3:42
- thank you very much for that introduction, Chris, and for your service in all uh all senses uh for this
- 3:50
- great uh institution uh in our country. Uh, Minister McGinty,
- 3:55
- Chief of the Defense Staff, Kerrion, and all the Canadian Armed Forces
- 4:02
- members here today. Thank you for joining us, and thank you for your service. It is great to be at CFB
- 4:09
- Trenton, Canada's largest Air Force base, home to generations
- 4:15
- of service members who dedication and courage represent the very best of our country.
- 4:22
- Home to eight wing. This base is a hub for response and airlift operations in
- 4:28
- Canada and around the world. Virtually every mission involves CFB Trenton.
- 4:34
- With a fleet of tactical and strategic transport aircraft, the capabilities here are diverse. From delivering
- 4:41
- supplies to the high Arctic, we were just talking about alert, to facilitating peacekeeping missions
- 4:47
- around the world with our allies. Every year, hundreds of Air, Army, and
- 4:54
- naval cadets come here to learn, to train, and to test themselves, preparing to wear the uniform and carry forward
- 5:02
- the proud tradition of service you represent.
- 5:07
- You and Trenton take on immense responsibilities knowing it will require extraordinary personal sacrifice to
- 5:14
- protect Canada's peace and security. and the calls on your dedication have
- 5:22
- only been growing. We're living in an increasingly dangerous and divided world. The
- 5:29
- international order built after the Second World War and reshaped following the Cold War is under pressure.
- 5:37
- Russia is emboldened. China is more assertive. The long-held view that
- 5:43
- Canada's geographic location will protect us is becoming archaic. Our
- 5:49
- Arctic waters are increasingly open and there have been rapid advances in cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum, and
- 5:56
- advanced missile capabilities. Climate change is making our country
- 6:01
- more vulnerable. The Arctic's melting. Our wild fires and
- 6:06
- floods are more frequent and devastating. And these are all threats to which the
- 6:12
- Canadian Armed Forces responds. The Canadian Forces keep our people and
- 6:18
- communities safe through major disasters. I'll give examples. This summer, Canadian forces have helped
- 6:24
- communities in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, soon Newfoundland
- 6:31
- and Labrador, including already by safely evacuating over 6,000 Canadians.
- 6:39
- This week, this week alone, Canadian forces members originally from CFB Trenton airdropped lifesaving
- 6:46
- humanitarian aid into Gaza. Canadian armed forces are standing guard
- 6:52
- in Latvia and continue to deploy around the world to stand with our allies in defense of peace and security.
- 7:01
- When a crisis breaks or Canada's safety is threatened anywhere in the world,
- this base, this base is the first to spring into action.
- And from CFB Trenton, fallen heroes have been repatriated to their families with
- honor, carried along the highway of heroes, draped in the maple leaf to be
- etched in our memories. CFP Trenton is much more than an Air
- Force base. It's a community. And here service isn't just lived by those in uniform, but also
- reflected in the strength, the support, and yes, the sacrifice of every military
- family. Their service is grounded in values, in a love for our country that makes those
- sacrifices possible. commitments that keep Canada strong.
- 8:00
- And in the minister's visit a few weeks ago and visits to come in my remarks
- today, we're investing in that strength.
- strategy
- utilities
- combat the drone in a system the detection
- Marin, Canadian,
- Canadian
- 9:16
- Canadians have always been proud of our armed forces and respect your unwavering
- dedication. But just as we have taken our security
- for granted for too long, for too long we have relied too heavily on that
- dedication of women and men who keep us secure.
- As the demands on our Canadian armed forces have increased, their resources and their salaries have not kept pace.
- And these are the men and women we trust to wear the Maple Leaf, the Canadian flag, and to risk their lives for it.
- Their pay, your pay should reflect the weight of your responsibilities.
- 10:05
- In Halifax a few months ago, I shared our vision to rebuild, rearm, and
- reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces in order to protect Canada's sovereignty to bolster our industrial capacity and
- create new careers for our workers. And at that time, I committed that Canada's new government would raise the pay of
- all members of the Canadian Armed Forces. And today with Minister McGinty and with
- Deputy Mallette, I'm proud to fulfill that commitment by announcing that all members of the Canadian Armed Forces
- will receive a pay raise. Specifically, there will be an 8% raise for colonels
- and above, a 13% raise for left tenant colonels and
- below, and a 20% raise in starting pay for privates in the regular force.
- These increases will be retroactive to April 1st of this year.
- 11:03
- There will be increases on top of base pay, putting more money in the pockets of everyone.
- We will also introduce a new military service pay benefit specifically tied to
- time in service so the paychecks honor years in uniform.
- We will also introduce additional supports in the coming months for members preparing for combat and
- high-risisk training so they are paid fairly. In addition for those intense commitments, we will make posting
- allowances fairer based on how many times members have had to uproot their
- lives, lives of their families to protect ours and will give more support when those
- moves take them far from their families. And if the members of the forces are
- called to serve here at home in a flood, a wildfire, or another dis disaster, we'll recognize that service with
- 12:01
- increased pay as well. And finally, we will target extra
- support to the critical trades where we need the personnel the most so we can keep the Canadian Armed Forces ready at
- all times. These increases in pay and incentives will help us to revitalize and transform
- recruitment and retention, to bolster force readiness, and to ensure that members in uniform have the confidence
- and certainty that they need. At Canadian Armed Forces bases like
- Trenton, service isn't an abstract ideal. It's a lived reality.
- And in that lived reality, behind every member in uniform, there's a family that
- serves right alongside them. Spouses who pack up the house on short notice, move
- across the country or around the world and build a new life from scratch. Kids
- who have to change schools and leave friends behind. Parents who spend holidays with an empty seat at the
- 13:05
- table, trusting the child they raised will make it home safely.
- 13:11
- So when we raise pay, we're not just recognizing the armed forces member, as important as that is, we're also helping
- 13:17
- to strengthen their families. Higher pay means greater financial resilience, more stability, more career
- 13:23
- choices for spouses, and more opportunities for their children to pursue their dreams.
- 13:47
- Canadian.
- 14:03
- Now, in addition to the substantial pay raises, we're focused on providing our
- calf members with the resources that they need and deserve. Canada's new government recognizes that
- our military infrastructure and equipment have aged, hindering our military preparedness.
- We recognize that only one of our four submarines is seaorthy, that less than half our maritime fleet and land
- vehicles are operational. So, we're modernizing our military equipment and technology. We're building up our own
- defense and security industries and diversifying those international defense partnerships.
- With investments of over $9 billion this year, Canada will reach our 2% NATO
- pledge, 2% of GDP NATO pledge half a decade, half a decade before schedule.
- And we will further accelerate our investments in years to come. At the NATO summit earlier this year in
- 15:02
- the HEG, the minister and I announced Canada's intention to meet the new defense investment pledge of 5% of
- annual GDP over the next decade by 2035.
- And to put that into context, our total spending on defense and security will
- quadruple by the end of this decade relative to 2023 24 levels.
- Now, we are laser focused on ensuring that this spending has the maximum impact on behalf of all Canadians.
- That means working with the best partners. It means getting maximum value for money with the greatest benefit for
- jobs and economic activity here in Canada. And that's why in June we concluded the
- new EU Canada Security and Defense Partnership to advance Canada's participation in the European Security
- Initiative and Rearm Europe plan. This will give us better access to European
- 16:03
- defense partners for our needs and it will give our defense suppliers greater opportunities to help supply Europe's
- needs. We are also in the process of creating a new defense procurement agency to move
- at pace to get our armed forces the equipment that they need when they need it.
- And our investments in defense will expand Canada's industrial capacity
- so we can equip Canadian armed forces using Canadian steel, Canadian aluminum,
- Canadian critical minerals, Canadian cyber and Canadian lumber.
- We will increase our security presence around the world, including to protect NATO's eastern flank. And by protecting
- Canada, we will protect NATO's western flank.
- 17:10
- by the sear space
- on uniform preervice. of these a gial.
- So much of Canada's history has been written by those who served in our armed
- forces. As a country, we came of age at Vimei Ridge. We cemented our reputation as
- defender of freedom on Juno Beach and as a liberator of the new of the Netherlands.
- Now, that story continues to be written by heroes such as the men and women
- standing in this hanger, those seated as well.
- 18:07
- Those chapters, those chapters that they're writing, those chapters that are being written by the Canadian Armed
- Forces may be new, but the theme remains the same.
- In times of crisis, when someone sees a maple leaf on a sleeve, they see hope
- and they get help. So, we're committing the resources so
- that the women and men of the Canadian Forces can deliver that help because at this hinge moment of history, Canada's
- leadership will be measured not just by the strength of our values, but also by the value of our strength.
- Thank you very much for your attention. and I look forward to your questions. Thank you, Prime Minister. We'll now begin with the uh question period. We're
- going to do 50 minutes of question. Hi, Mr. Kenzig with Global News. Have
- 19:00
- you not retaliated against American tariffs? Is you're concerned about the impact that would have in the upcoming Kuzma negotiations and we've heard from
- Doug Ford. He thinks those negotiations are going to start in November that Trump wants to move them up. When do you think that they're going to happen?
- Uh thanks first off, thanks for the question. Um, you know, we're in a situation right now where 85% of our
- trade with the United States is tariff-free. Our exports to the United States enter the United States tariffree. 85% of US trade into Canada
- is tariff-free. Um, and we have put in place uh retaliatory tariffs um in a way
- that looks to do have the minimum impact uh here in Canada. That's why there's
- been various adjustments over time to remissions and others. Um we're in a position where we have the prospect or
- we're engaged in discussions with the US as you know and have been for some time.
- The issues at the core of those negotiations uh will be similar to some of the issues
- 20:03
- that will come up naturally through KSMA. um their issues around strategic
- sectors, steel, aluminum, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, lumber
- and from our perspective, we're concentrating on those areas where our economy is
- economies are deeply integrated um and working for win-win solutions
- between uh the two countries. uh to the last part of your question uh in terms
- of uh the KUSMA review as you know it's scheduled for about 9 months from now um
- normally before any review process there's uh consultations that uh begin well in advance and so it would be
- natural that both in Canada the United States as well as Mexico those consultations internally would begin in
- advance and um look we're to the extent we're very conscious that there are
- 21:05
- a couple of negotiations uh in sequence. Um and the extent to which those
- negotiations can be brought together or inform each other uh that's in the interests of all parties. Uh earlier this week you talked about
- the idea that you'd be looking to take counter tariffs off. It would help Canadian businesses. What sectors specifically are you looking at doing
- those? I look it's uh it's a general point. Um it's something we have done. So for example in the auto sector we've we've
- taken them off at quite substantial so-called remissions in the auto sector also in steel as well because parts used
- um uh in Canada end up the the tariffs do more harm than good or or or can do
- that. Um so we've done that um consistently. uh we'll always look to that. And I think the other thing I'd
- say and I'll finish on this which is that you know we'll always look um at our actions in the context of our trade
- obligations uh and our future negotiations. Thank you. Next question. Question. Yes, sir.
- 22:04
- Good morning, Prime Minister. Ashley Burke, CBC News. In June, Minister McGinty said that there would there
- would be a 20% pay raise and a lot of military members got their hopes up. They thought it meant across the board
- for all members. Why are all members getting that 20% pay hike? Uh this is um this is a generational
- change in pay uh for the Canadian Armed Forces. Um and what we're doing is uh
- doing several things. One is the increases the 20% for those coming into
- the forces uh those uh the privates um 8% up to the level of left tenant
- colonel sorry 13% up to the level of left tenant colonel and then 8% colonel and above those are significant changes.
- They also come with a series of other supplements uh t time of service supplement for that
- 23:00
- uh in theater operations uh being moved um for uh mult multiple times um uh
- domestic uh responsibilities that we uh we're grateful that the forces are
- meeting in cases of emergency but also um our our hardship and others the ones that I I detailed. So, I would
- underscore that, you know, we have not seen something, Canada's not seen something like this uh this this um
- millennium. It hasn't seen it since the late 1990s. So, it's a generational shift. Um and we're proud of it.
- You ordered a review of the F-35 contract during this rift with the US. The military has long said they want the
- F-35. We're now hearing that the military has told you they want to stick with that contract. Did you expect the
- forces to potentially say something different? Um, and how much of this is part of a negotiation tactic with the
- president Trump? No, I I would I'd say a couple of things. First off, the review is not completed, so there's no settled uh
- 24:00
- advice into the government. Um, first point. Second, um
- the nature of aerial combat, the nature of warfare, the nature of our responsibilities, the scale of our
- investment, all of those elements have changed uh over the course of recent
- years. And then with respect to the commitment the the the resources that we're going to put in uh that
- quadrupling of resources by the end of uh this decade um we have a responsibility to make sure that those
- are spent in the way that has a maximum impact. I'll give you an example. We
- have a much greater threat
- associated responsibilities in the Arctic. We've taken a number of steps over the horizon radar early stage um of
- that process um having forces on land air uh and the sea 365 days a year
- moving that from 4 months um but we also need the appropriate um air capabilities
- 25:06
- for the Arctic for the runways in the Arctic for the threats that were faced in the Arctic as
- well. And so part of the consideration is is is the F-35 best suited for that
- uh relative to other options. Other considerations as Canadians would expect uh is value for money and economic
- impact here in Canada. So I would make the core point that the review is driven
- by the need um and the responsibilities uh and approach that we're taking to
- making sure that this very large and necessary uh investment in defense is
- done so most effectively. Next question. Canadian Press. Hi, Mr. Prime Minister. Kyle Dugen from
- the Canadian Press. Uh can I uh get your reaction to Israel saying that it's uh
- um Israel planning to take over Gaza City? Yeah. Um thank thank you for the
- 26:04
- question. Um well I I would say first uh we join others uh many others in uh in
- um viewing that this is wrong. Uh that this uh action is not going to contribute to uh an improvement um in
- the humanitarian situation on the ground. Uh it is going to put uh the lives of the hostages at greater risk um
- uh rather than lessening it. Um, we reiterate our call for an immediate
- ceasefire. Uh, we reiterate our call uh for Hamas to immediately return all of
- the hostages and and their remains. We reiterate that Hamas has no role going
- forward and we'll continue to work with our allies uh to contribute what we can to achieving those outcomes.
- Thank you. And as a followup, could I uh get your reaction to the jobs reports? A loss of 41,000 jobs, worse than
- 27:00
- expected. Thank you. Uh sure. Um a couple of things. One is that um obviously we uh look very
- closely at uh developments in the labor market. Um we had a very strong job
- report in June. Um over 80,000 jobs created. We now have uh the July uh jobs
- uh reduction of just over uh 40,000. Um
- what's interesting about if you look across those areas um the geographic
- spread is um in the July report is more in western Canada it's in Alberta and
- Saskatchewan um less in the manufacturing sectors where we will expect uh we we expect to see pressure
- um and there are pressures which is why we're taking action in steel and lumber and we will in autos and other areas Um,
- I'd also note that in that jobs report, the unemployment rate held steady and
- 28:00
- for the second straight month, we've seen a further acceleration in wage growth. Um, so wage growth now at 3 and
- a half%. Um, up from uh below three. So wage growth
- now outpacing uh the growth in uh in CPI. So can that combined with the tax
- cut that we put in place combined with the removal of the consumer carbon tax and other measures. Um
- progress on cost of living just to be clear progress. Uh we're not satisfied
- that that's enough. There's much more that needs to be done. Uh which is why uh we're looking to make sure and to
- bring it back to uh to today and why we're here. We're we're looking to make sure and we will make sure that as we
- build our military military uh we'll build our economy as well. Thank you.
- 29:08
- Say correct.
- will not be
- augment.
- Um,
- 30:16
- Fore
- the set the set initiative. Next question. CTV. Wait.
- Judy Trin, CTV News. Prime Minister, given that you have said that Canada will recognize a Palestinian state and
- given that Prime Minister Netanyahu has an arrest warrant issued by the
- International Criminal Court and yet he is still considering uh and will uh want
- he wants to take over parts of Gaza City. Will the Canadian government consider sanctions against Israel?
- 31:07
- Uh thank you for the uh thank you for the question. Um we are working on multiple fronts um to try to be bring a
- level of stability to the region then security then peace uh to the region. Um
- and in terms of those fronts, yes, working with allies, working with the French, working with the British, working with uh partners in the Middle
- East, other partners in the Middle East to work towards stabilization of the situation. And uh
- we don't see the road we what we see is the erosion of the possibility of a
- two-state solution uh because of facts on the ground, actions on the ground. Um
- and that's why we we we made the announcement announced the intention predicated on various factors that we
- did. But what we're also doing, and again I want to bring it right back uh to where we are today, um is doing what
- 32:04
- we can under extremely difficult circumstances uh to provide humanitarian
- aid uh to those suffering uh in Gaza uh with our Jordanian partners, but very
- importantly um with uh directly uh with the Canadian armed forces. Earlier this
- week, just under 22,000 pounds of aid uh brought through uh through Cypress. um
- uh and uh air air dropped into Gaza and that's uh that's the forces at its best
- in one of the worst situations in the world. Prime Minister, are sanctions on the
- table against Israel? Is that being discussed? Look, there there are various there's
- various routes uh immediate assistance. Uh the work we're doing, as I say, with
- partners, um I we've made announcements. I'm not on the cusp of making another
- announcement at this point. Next question. New York Times,
- 33:04
- Ian Austin, Prime Minister. Um, I don't think anyone disputes the sacrifice and dedication of
- most members of the armed forces, but even the head of the army has recently expressed his immense frustration at
- what's happened to the force's reputation because of those groups in Quebec City and the online group in
- Ottawa. Um, what do the forces need to do to to wind that back to, you know,
- show Canadians that uh Well, I think thank you for thank you
- for the question. Um I think you know the first is to take every situation
- seriously to be absolutely transparent uh about about the situation obviously
- having to respect uh due process and uh uh disciplinary or court uh proceedings
- that can evolve. The second is to be systematic. Okay. So you referenced um
- 34:01
- some terrible situations at least as reported um but there is a more general
- issue by systematic it's the reforms that uh the chief of the defense staff and the minister uh and and their
- colleagues are overseeing um that reinforce the best of the forces
- culture. Um first point. The second what comes with that in being systematic is
- you survey um the forces and you have mechanisms to discover as you should in
- any organization um your organization the government of Canada uh where uh you
- can report where there are uh harassment issues or issues of hate speech or other
- other elements track those work uh to uh uh to reduce those um and what we're
- also very much informed by and the minister and the chief can speak more directly to this if needed. Um is that
- very comprehensive report was done by Luis Arbor um and over 60% of the uh of
- 35:02
- those recommendations are already implemented um and the forces are working through uh working through the
- balance. So um first is to call it what it is. Secondly is to be systematic
- about um understanding what's going on across a huge complex organization.
- That's as true for the government of Canada as it is for the forces as it is for uh private sector organization. Um
- and then taking action on the specific cases but also doing those systematic reforms uh which I just referenced uh
- through the arbor recommendations. We'll have time for one last question. Hello, Prime Minister Tim Durkin with
- CJBQ and Quinny News in Belleville. Certainly a a big news announcement not
- just for the area but for the entire country. you did speak on it quickly, but I was wondering if you could just
- circle back to the emergency response component of what the RCAF and and calf
- has been doing this year. I I think it's Thank you. Thank you for that. um
- 36:02
- because I think it's hard to overstate um the the the contribution of the
- forces uh and I'm going to speak speak specifically to uh the wildfire
- situation um you know back in um well in the spring uh so early in the season
- when you don't you know expect uh things to uh to have moved as quickly as as they did uh I received a call from uh uh
- Premier Canoe um uh within
- with well within within I'm going to say an hour but it was less than an hour uh connected uh to the minister who had
- already then connected to the chief and uh uh before a formal what's called a
- request for assistance which comes from a province was put in place uh the forces were deploying uh to extreme
- situations or getting ready to deploy I should say to extreme situations where uh people you know under threat uh
- remote uh in this case uh largely indigenous communities under under threat uh by being encircled uh by fire
- 37:06
- um and airlifted uh airlifted out you know the um uh the C uh the C17s I'll
- get my planes right the C7s have been lifting Chinooks out to some of these
- hotspots so that the forces can uh do that uh do that work. So
- across sadly we're now probably at half where we are at half of our provinces uh
- where the forces have deployed and this is above and beyond like this is not this is above and beyond their their
- resp core responsibilities uh and they do it without hesitation. They're literally running into the fire uh in
- order to provide uh those services. over 6,000 Canadians uh have been uh evacuated and many more
- have received the reassurance that if needed they would be as well. Um, and
- that's hard to that's hard to uh quantify and it's we're very much in their in their debt. And again, to go
- 38:05
- back to the earlier question, I'm sorry to keep bringing it back kind of into today's announcement, there's no extra
- pay for that or there hasn't been there's no and and and there's no questioning of that of course by the
- forces. Uh but we think in terms of fairness there should be and there will be. Thanks. Thank you. This was an enter press
- conference. Can I find a couple? Okay, great. Good.