Mark Carney, Canada’s Military, and the Continued Neglect of Our Armed Forces

Canada has a new Liberal leader—Mark Carney. Some are already calling him “Justin 2.0”, warning that his leadership will continue Trudeau’s legacy of sneaky policies and tax-heavy agendas, especially with the carbon tax. Others point to his deep financial interests in the U.S., raising concerns about where his true priorities lie.

But what about national defense? Where does Mark Carney stand on Canada’s military, national security, and our failure to meet NATO’s 2% GDP commitment?

The answer? We don’t know.

And that’s a problem.

Our Leaders—No Matter the Party—Are Failing the Military

To be fair, Carney isn’t alone in his neglect of the Canadian Armed Forces.

• Pierre Poilievre talks about “common sense” policies, but has yet to show a true understanding of military needs.
• Jagmeet Singh seems even less concerned, focusing almost entirely on domestic social programs.

Meanwhile, our troops are still using outdated, end-of-life equipment, and no one in Ottawa seems to have a plan to fix it.

We Sent Old Equipment to Ukraine—With No Plan to Replace It

During my time serving in the RCAF, I was issued a sleeping bag older than I was—a clear example of how outdated some of our gear had become.

Instead of properly investing in our military, Canada sent massive amounts of end-of-service and beyond-end-of-service equipment to Ukraine—gear that had already exceeded its expected lifespan.

According to CBC News (source), this included:

• Non-lethal aid: Sleeping bags, worn-out jackets, used boots, webbing, and other surplus tactical gear.
• Lethal aid: M777 howitzers, Carl Gustaf anti-tank weapons—equipment that was beyond its useful life for our forces.

Let’s put this into perspective:

• The Carl Gustaf anti-tank weapon was developed in 1940 for WWII. We should have retired these decades ago, yet we handed them over and called it a major contribution.
• The M777 howitzers we sent had far exceeded their expected round count—these weapons were worn out and should have been scrapped. Instead, we gave them away and labeled it as “aid.” (source)

And here’s the real kicker—we have no plan to replace the equipment we gave away.

The replacement for the Carl Gustaf? The TOW missile system. But are we actively replenishing our stockpiles? Nope.

This isn’t just irresponsible—it’s a national security disaster in the making.

The Men and Women Who Serve Deserve Better

We have left our military so underfunded it’s disgusting.

The men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces volunteer to put their lives on the line to defend this country. They deserve better.

Our leaders need to wake up. The Canadian public needs to stop seeing the military as just an emergency response team for natural disasters and start recognizing them as the backbone of our sovereignty and security.

What Does This Have to Do With Real Estate?

At first glance, this might not seem like a real estate topic—but if you think about it, it absolutely is.

• Canada’s economy and national security are deeply connected. A weak military doesn’t just put us at risk—it affects investor confidence, economic stability, and even the housing market.
• Communities thrive when their military bases and personnel are supported. Neglecting our military hurts jobs, local businesses, and housing markets in cities and towns with military populations.
• Veterans deserve housing and financial security. Many leave service with injuries, PTSD, or financial struggles—but Canada still isn’t doing enough to support them in transitioning to civilian life, homeownership, or entrepreneurship.