Trudeau's defence plan won't survive first contact with the enemy
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
127.975075
Summary
Learn English with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Justin Trudeau delivers a speech in Trenton, New Brunswick, Canada on his visit to the Canadian Forces base at CFB Trenton and the investments Canada is making in the northern territories.
Transcript
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This Canadian Forces base where we are today, CFB Trenton, was established in the time of peace
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between the First and Second World Wars. It was farmland that became an air base for the Royal
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Canadian Air Force. It opened nearly a century ago, and during the Second World War, it became
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the largest training centre and unit of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
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My grandfather, James Sinclair, would have come through Trenton when he was a member of the RCAF
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on his way to serve in North Africa during the Second World War. People came here from far and
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wide to train and fly. People who went off to war. People who fought to defend what Canada stands for.
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Freedom, justice, fairness, and peace. A lot of people who didn't come home. They were a generation
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that made immense sacrifices so we, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren
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could live in peace. Service to country and to Canadian values defines who we are.
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We've always known that we're the best country in the world, so we understand our obligation
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to do our part. It's what we did in World War I and World War II, where names like Vimy Ridge,
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Dieppe, and Juneau Beach became part of Canadian lore. It's what we did in the decades that followed.
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It's why Kapyong Hill in Korea, Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar, and Camp Adatsi in Latvia are so meaningful.
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Canadians are connected to the world, and we've always punched above our weight.
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Today, we live in an increasingly complex and challenging time. So now, more than ever,
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the world needs more Canada, and the world needs more Canadians. And whereas in the entirety of the
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20th century, we sent our people out to the front lines across the world, we are now on the front lines
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of new and evolving threats. Technological advances and cyber attacks mean there are myriad ways for
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engagement that go beyond traditional borders. Rising and disruptive powers like China and Russia
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mean NATO's northern and western flank is the Canadian Arctic. And climate change is rapidly reshaping
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Canada and reshaping our north. The Northwest Passage could become the most efficient shipping route
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between Europe and Asia by 2050. That's just 26 years away. Canadians are once again called upon to meet
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the moment. Today, we are announcing our next commitment to our armed forces and to Canadians' security
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with the investments laid out in our north, strong and free. It makes $73 billion worth of investments
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over the next 20 years. Our north, strong and free, invests in new surveillance capabilities
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for land, sea and air in the north. It leverages Canada's world-class technology, including in AI and
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quantum, so we can stay ahead of the curve. It creates jobs, and importantly, it supports all those of you
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who serve. This is about protecting our values, our sovereignty, and our north. Indigenous peoples have
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long been integral to Canada's identity as a northern nation. But too often, defence in the north has been
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entirely separate from the people who've lived there for millennia. This must never again be the case.
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Our investments in the north must serve both Canada's defence and the well-being and success of the Inuit,
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First Nations and Métis, who've always been its stewards. This is something I've heard directly from
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Inuit leadership and a crucial piece of our work together to advance the Arctic and Northern policy
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framework. And we are supporting our friends in Ukraine as they push back against Putin. Russia's
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illegal and unjustifiable invasion is a direct attempt to fracture the foundations of democracy
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and our global rules-based order. It's an attempt to undermine the values and principles that previous
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generations fought for, subsequent generations benefited from, and that we must secure for this
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generation of Canadians and the next. This is why we are stepping up once again. To preserve and defend
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the rules-based order that has allowed people around the world to prosper for the better part of the
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last century. To stand up for Canadian values like freedom, justice, fairness, and peace. To keep Canada
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and the world safer in a time of increasing difficulty, now is the time to do even more. And our government
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The world changes, but our values as Canadians do not change.
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Every day, you, as proud members of the Canadian Armed Forces, show us what service to country,
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service to the values, ideals, and people of this country means. We need you. The world needs you to
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continue to step up. And we will be there to give you the support and resources and tools you need to match
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your courage, your courage, and your convictions.