'', The Canadian Press, 12 May 2008

EXCERPT: "Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled his government's plan to spend $30 billion on the military, in a long-term vision statement that was swiftly criticized Monday [12 May 2008] for being behind schedule and scant on detail. In 2006, the Conservatives called for expanding the Canadian Forces by adding 70,000 regular members and 30,000 reservists over a five-year period. Harper repeated the pledge Monday - but he did not mention a deadline. A Defence Department performance report, released last November, concluded the government had not allotted enough money to meet the target set in 2006. Given the commitments being made in Afghanistan and the rapid attrition rate in the military, the expansion was 're-profiled' to 68,000 regulars and 26,000 reservists by 2011-2012, the report said."

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