Editor’s Corner article | FrontLine Magazine

Well, it’s is finally done. The Conservative government has its well-deserved majority – it has done a very good job over the years. And besides, the alternatives get less credible every year. That being said, there is one sad point – the defence sector lost a very dedicated advocate from the Opposition side of the House. Claude Bachand, I am confident we haven’t seen the last of you (but I’m glad the people of Quebec are ready to move forward in a positive national direction).

The retooled Government is not basking in the political glow of success – after years of being hindered (their view) by the need to cooperate with the opposition (is that all bad?), it is apparently intent on picking up the pace, planning to push through on some of the promises that the Opposition had previously blocked.

Dare I hope that Ministers will be allowed to take control back from their 20-something communications graduates? Nah, that’s too optimistic.

How will the new parliamentary floor plan affect the defence and aerospace community? Under the leadership of the most grounded party, in terms of understanding the harsh realities of today’s politically and environmentally unstable world, we anticipate that the defence and security sectors will indeed experience the intense growth necessary to enable all frontline responders – be they military, enforcement or public safety – to keep up with (preferrably ahead of) the threats to our safety and way of life. The sheer number of threats that are out there, in every environment (space, aerospace, cyberspace, land and sea), are beyond scary if you stop to think about it. As Dan Gardner wrote a few months ago in the Ottawa Citizen, “It is foolish to think we know with any precision what the military will have to do in the coming decades, so operational flexibility is essential.” All responsible leaders must direct resources and expertise towards efforts aimed at predicting, finding and providing the capabilities for destroying these threats to our peaceful society. Mr Harper, a path has been cleared, let’s see what you can do with a majority.