OTTAWA – The Harper government is promising to spend more on the day-to-day-upkeep of the military, but the cash does not kick in for two years and is short of what the parliamentary budget office says is necessary to maintain the status quo.The new federal budget also confirms previously announced improvements to veterans benefits and programs — $1.6 billion in spending booked in the last fiscal year in order to avoid a deficit this year.Finance Minister Joe Oliver’s fiscal plan, released Tuesday, sets aside $11.8 billion over 10 years to increase the baseline defence appropriation beginning in the 2017-18 fiscal …read more
Source: National Newswatch