Defence Highlights: Budget 2001

This includes increased funding to:

• enhance the capacity of Joint Task Force Two - the Canadian Forces elite anti-terrorist unit;
  
  
• support Canadian military participation in the international war on terrorism;
  
  
• fund military equipment purchases (in 2001-02);
  
  
• strengthen Canada's ability to respond to chemical, biological, and nuclear threats; and
  
  
• improve the ability to protect Canada's critical infrastructure - such as water and energy utilities and transportation and communications systems.

An overview of these investments is provided below. Of the $1.6 billion invested in these areas, $1.2 billion is being invested in the Defence portfolio, which includes the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Forces and related agencies including the Communications Security Establishment, and Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness.

Overview:

1. Joint Task Force 2

• Budget 2001 provides $119 million (between now and fiscal year 2006-07) to enhance the capacity of Joint Task Force 2.
  
  
• Joint Task Force 2's primary mandate is to be ready to respond to terrorist events or major disturbances affecting Canada's national security. As a unit of the Canadian Forces, Joint Task Force 2 can be employed in Canada and overseas.
  
  
• The additional funding will improve JTF 2's ability to respond to incidents both at home and abroad.

2. Operation APOLLO

• Budget 2001 includes an additional $210 million to fund Canada's current commitment to the international military campaign against terrorism. This funding is based on the estimated, incremental cost of Operation Apollo into Fiscal Year 2002-03.
  
  
• Under Op APOLLO, Canada has thus far committed six warships, six aircraft and an element of Joint Task Force 2. The Government has also placed a 1,000-member force on stand-by to deploy to Afghanistan to support peace operations, if and as required.
  
  
• To date, Canada's contribution to Op APOLLO represents one of the largest commitments of Canadian troops since the Korean War.

3. Military Equipment

• Budget 2001 provides $300 million (in 2001-2002) to support investment in capital equipment, information technology, and kit for deployed operations.

4. Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence

• Budget 2001 provides $513 million in additional funding (between now and 2006-07) - shared by Defence and other Government Departments - to strengthen Canada's capacity to respond to the use of unconventional weapons, whether they are chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear.
  
  
• This funding will be used to:
  
  
  • enhance existing laboratory networks so that they will be able to detect and identify possible biochemical threats more quickly; and
    
    
  • purchase new protective equipment and improve training for emergency response teams to ensure that front-line responders are better prepared to deal with Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear emergencies.

5. Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and
   Emergency Preparedness Canada

• Budget 2001 provides $396 million (between now and 2006-07) to expand the capacity of the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection for Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP) and other federal agencies, such as the RCMP and CSIS, in order to strengthen Canada's ability to respond to threats against critical infrastructure - such as water and energy utilities, and transportation and communications systems.
  
  
• With this additional funding, OCIPEP will work with federal agencies, provincial and territorial governments, emergency measures organizations throughout Canada, and foreign organizations - particularly the United States - to improve the overall level of infrastructure protection and emergency preparedness.
  
  
• OCIPEP was established in February, 2001, to provide national leadership on a new, modern and comprehensive approach to protecting Canada's critical infrastructure. It is also the Government's primary agency for ensuring national civil emergency preparedness - for all types of emergencies.

In addition, Budget 2001 increases funding to strengthen intelligence and policing. This funding will include new spending to upgrade technology and equipment for intelligence gathering and analysis.

For more budget highlights, see the Department of Finance Web site at http://www.fin.gc.ca.