Last week, Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean made an emotional visit to her birthland of Haiti, where she made a point of praising Canadian soldiers at the town of Leogane who are providing relief and fresh water to some 20,000 Haitians.
As so often happens at natural disasters, soldiers are there first and are effective and compassionate with victims, throwing themselves into relief work with an intensity that one does not always see in professional aid workers.
When natural disasters occur, usually it is the U.S. that responds first — often because the U.S has aircraft carriers scattered around the world, within cruising distance of wherever the disaster is.
On the heels of the Americans, these days come Canadian soldiers with their DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) facilities to provide clean water quickly, which often is the most pressing need.
There is some irony in Jean’s gratitude and pride in our military’s largely unheralded work in Haiti. The earthquake happened prior to the Canadian budget which, in tune with Canadian tradition, will trim and curb defence spending.
With our role in Afghanistan due to end next year, a $500-million cut in defence spending is planned, with another $1 billion trimmed the following year. Some will insist this doesn’t indicate a serious step backwards, since the defence budget is roughly double the $10 billion it was a decade ago. Today’s $20-billion defence budget may seem comparatively lush. But is it?
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