Huffington Post
A panel of leading defence and security experts say Canada’s new government should take the politically sensitive step of joining the U.S. ballistic missile defence program and talk with NATO about how to improve military deterrence in the Arctic.
The Centre for International Policy Studies released a report Tuesday that could provide the Justin Trudeau’s Liberals with a road map to implement some of the party’s ambitious military and diplomatic proposals.
The study group includes the country’s former overseas operations commander, a former NATO ambassador who served as cabinet secretary for intelligence, a former diplomat who has experience as a treasury board official and two notable defence analysts.
Paul Martin’s Liberal government opted in 2005 not to join missile defence _ a decision the Harper government was reconsidering before it was defeated in the Oct. 19 election.
Bob McRae, who represented Canada at NATO until 2011, says no government has wanted to touch the subject for years, but noted the world has changed and that it’s important for a Canadian to be in the room in a crisis when decisions are made that affect the security of the country.
When it comes to overall defence policy, the report makes a series of recommendations. Among them: mending a frayed relationship with the United Nations; participating in more peacekeeping operations and putting forward a “credible” position on climate change, which the authors argue is a security issue…
