PM Should Explain Afghan Mission on TV: Senate

(Hallelujah!--if only for a moment.)

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is being urged to go on TV and explain the Afghanistan mission to Canadians.

Senator Colin Kenny made the suggestion as the Senate's defence committee introduced a wide-ranging report.

The all-party committee suggested both the former Liberal Government and the present Conservative Government have fallen down in explaining the mission to Canadians.

The report says the government should go through a checklist before sending Canadian troops in harm's way.

The questions include: What is the purpose of the mission and is the mandate clear and realistic?

(That's the whole article.)

http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=2&nid=43359

Harper should go on TV to explain Afghan mission to Canadians: senators

OTTAWA (CP) - The government has to do a better job of explaining Canada's mission in Afghanistan, a Senate committee said Thursday.

The defence committee, in a wide-ranging report entitled "Managing Turmoil," touched on Afghanistan, endorsed joining the American missile defence system and called for doubling the foreign aid budget and increasing defence spending.

The all-party committee said both the former Liberal government and the present Conservative regime have fallen down in explaining Afghanistan to Canadians.

The report said a government sending soldiers in harm's way should go through a checklist beforehand, answering questions that include:

http://www.cjad.com/node/419800

And brought to us by the the guy promoting health care. So now it's missile defence.

Here's some stuff from the CBC, same report:

Canada should not waste military resources on defending the Arctic, but should sign on to the U.S. ballistic missile defence program...

The senators also say the Defence Department should get special treatment, suggesting that its minister be empowered to spend up to $500 million on equipment without having to go through the long process of cabinet approval.

Military spending is far too low, the report concludes, saying the projected budget of $20 billion by 2012 is "at least $5-billion short and more probably $15-billion short."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/10/05/defence-report.html

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It sounds like an all wingnut report.