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Click here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser or Diane Francis: Canada needs to do more to counter the Russian threat Canadians pay high taxes and a chunk of it is supposed to be earmarked for national defence, as well as to pull our weight internationally. Over the years, most taxes have been spent by our Liberal government on pandemic supports, equalization payments to Quebec to keep the Bloc Qu b cois at bay and excessive benefits to buy votes during elections. The fact that we can only afford four lousy howitzers to support an ally in a war of aggression raises another question: what has our government done to protect our continental infrastructure, resources and the Arctic, which is a priceless asset that could easily be Russia's next target. The answer is nothing. In August, the U.S. announced a plan to modernize NORAD's surveillance capabilities in Canada s North. Britain offered its assistance last year, saying it was ready to conduct exercises and use its more advanced nuclear subs to patrol the Arctic. The HMS Prince of Wales sent 3,000 crewmen to conduct the largest Arctic military exercise with its NATO allies since the end of the Cold War last month.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is timid except in its dealings with a few dozen truckers who were double-parked in Ottawa. That episode is embarrassing for Canadians because it was a stupid over-reach that was ridiculed by the media and people around the world. U.S. President Joe Biden is a leader who is aggressive, generous and strategically cunning. He has sounded financial sanctions that are crippling Russia, given billions to the hapless Ukrainians and strengthened the European alliance. Without the pressure of Washington, Trudeau and his inexperienced, unschooled cabinet would have done absolutely nothing for two reasons: they are hopelessly parochial and politically correct to a fault and they have neglected our Armed Forces since gaining power in 2015. Canada's military has been neglected and hollowed out, and our NATO commitments have been ignored. Canada has severely diminished its diplomatic and geopolitical standing.
Diane Francis said that the world needs more Canadian resources.
Diane Francis: Putin is the 21st century's successor to Hitler and Stalin, says veteran Kyiv journalist Canada has become totally dependent on America's military and economy. Canada could make a huge difference by increasing energy production in order to help Europe replace Russian energy. The Americans are scrambling to meet this important goal, but Trudeau's environment minister is Steven Guilbeault, a former Greenpeace activist, and his government has done everything it can to maintain its net-zero policies, even at the expense of our allies.
Despite the existence of a Slavic diaspora in this country, Canada is an immigrant nation, but there hasn't been a sizable effort to welcome the huge number of Ukrainian refugees to our shores. Canada needs to do more to root out Russian interests operating here. Canada should work to remove Russia from the G 20 and the World Trade Organization. It's time Canada pulled its weight, because we could be next on the hit list. com.