The Liberal Government of Justin Trudeau and Canadian Defence Policy /

That aside, however, the position was politically popular, as Trudeau capitalized on public sentiment that seemed to hold that everything the Tories had done on the file was suspect, and thus there was no possible way the F-35 could be the best choice for Canada’s military. [...] In early 2016 it was reported that the government had decided to make a payment that allowed Ottawa to remain a partner in the F-35 development program, a move that suggested that a purchase of the aircraft was, in fact, possible.16 And a short time later it was reported that the F-35 would be one of the contenders in the procurement competition after all, whenever it is ultimately held. [...] While a positive development in terms of the fairness of the competition, it was clearly at odds with the party’s promise that it would not be purchased.17 So, by the spring of 2016, the government’s insistence that it would never purchase the F-35 appeared to be changing. [...] On the same day, Defence Minister Sajjan, when pressed on the commitment to an “open and transparent” competition, refused to answer the question, saying only that a purchase of new fighter aircraft is long overdue.23 The impression created was that the Liberals, rather than being committed to holding an open competition that would lead to a selection that had broad support, seem intent on reachin [...] A second defence issue that has attracted government attention is the NATO request to station troops in Eastern Europe in the aftermath of recent Russian aggression, which by the fall of 2016 included the deployment of battleships in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, and the stationing of nuclear-capable missile launchers near Poland.