Ottawa Puts Out Welcome Mat on Atlantic Border
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Once again we have elected a federal government capable of paying down debt to the tune of billions of dollars yet unwilling to protect our ocean borders from illegal fishing, potential terrorist incursions or even a full scale invasion.
Thank goodness nobody cares enough about this Country to bother attacking it because if they did the military response would likely take days to arrive from the U.S.
Reports surfaced this week that the Canadian navy vessel HMCS Halifax was tied up in port rather than taking part in scheduled fisheries and security patrols on the east coast. The ship had been scheduled to help catch foreign illegal fishers and ensure that the nation’s eastern flank was secure from attack. Unfortunately, due to a lack of federal funding, this didn’t happen. The federal government simply didn’t believe this activity was important enough to spend our tax dollars. It wasn’t until the story hit the newswires that some “limited” funding became available for a belated patrol.
This situation may sound strange to people across the Country, as it should, but here in Newfoundland and Labrador it’s doesn’t surprise anyone in the least. Fisheries protection has never been a priority for Ottawa, neither has the protection of the east coast of the Country. When it comes to fisheries issues the government of Canada sees the resource as nothing more than a way to broker trade deals with nations around the globe. The prize is for Canada is improved trade relations, for other Countries it means open access to fish stocks and a free pass to rape our oceans.
Militarily the east coast of Canada hasn’t been on Ottawa’s radar since the end of the cold war. There is practically no military presence in Newfoundland and Labrador, which essentially accounts for Canada’s entire Atlantic coastal border. The only military base of any consequence is in Labrador and it’s served as nothing more than a political football for years. Politicians have used it time and time again as a way win votes in the province. They usually do this by promising that the base will once again become an integral part of the Canadian military, yet today it remains in a virtual limbo where on a daily basis, and depending on who you ask, it will soon become either fully utilized or shut down. It’s anybody’s guess.
When it comes to military protection of our nation the entire system is a joke. It makes me think that the national anthem itself may need a little tweaking so it more accurately reflects the true state of Canada today. I’m thinking something along the lines of, “Oh Canada we stand on guard for thee, but not east of Quebec†or perhaps something like, “From Sea to shining St. Lawrence Riverâ€. Hey, it works for me.
By Myles Higgins
@ January 19, 2007