$24 billion? We thought it was $9

The CBC reported this morning that successive Liberal and Conservative governments have spent $24 billion on national security in Canada since 9/11. In a sense, that may be a good thing. But $15 billion of that is in secret or unreported appropriations. It included among other things more money for the Mounties, CSIS, the military; and airline upgrades.

Also interesting is that very little has been done to beef up border enforcement on our end, not just to stop illegal migrants or possible terrorism suspects but also the illicit trade in contraband alcohol and tobacco. Our border services and coast guard contingent on the Great Lakes is a fraction of what exists on the US side. We have just 14, they have 2200.

Some have wondered why that money wasn't spent on other things like child care or pharmacare. Others wonder why some things have gone unnoticed. Like many others, I don't want to know how the sausages are made. Yes, I think we can afford child care and pharmacare without compromising our national security interests. In fact, all should be priorities. But I also think that secret earmarks go against the grain of the Parliamentary system. The Auditor General at the very least should know and be able to report on an annual basis how much we're spending and whether that's money well spent, just as for any other priority area.

To the argument there haven't been any terrorist attacks since 9/11 on Canadian soil, I point out that we can't afford that kind of complacency. The thwarted Toronto plot is an example.

But could we have done better? Could we have beefed up our defences for half that money -- say $12 billion? Or was the $9 billion sufficient enough to begin with and why was it deemed necessary to spend so much more? If the money really was needed, we're entitled to an accounting. If not, those who stole taxpayers' money or secretly jacked up appropriations without authority should be imprisoned. Both Liberals and Conservatives.

As for the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence areas -- if the feds can't truly afford to defend the border then the OPP and SQ units assigned to the lake and rivershores should either be federalized or given authority to enforce federal customs laws, with weapons if necessary.

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