Let's talk about the Conservative Platform

So much for being Warriors.

I dont know what to say. I really dont anymore.

That isnt me trying to be funny, or sarcastic like usual. I try to be positive in here, and give chances. I have been especially fair to the Conservatives. I was prepared for today to be like the last one, where we would finally get the full picture of their defence plan.

But that didnt happen… There was no full picture, no greater plan. Instead, what we had before was quite literally about everything they had. There was no grand plans, no policy beyond their Arctic policy. I could repost my analysis from last week, and it would cover practically all the bases, save a very underwhelming procurement reform promise and CANZUK?

Here you go, here's the whole policy. Have fun:

That's it…

That's all they have.

How do I go about justifying this? How do I stand here and discuss this seriously? Theyre missing ¾ of their policy! How is this the best one of our two major parties can do?

The Liberals were meh, a few good ideas sprinkled with vagueness and overarching authority. Yet at least they tried to cover bases. At least they tried to be comprehensive. At least they offered more than an Arctic defence policy.

I was so hopeful that maybe, just maybe, the Cons were preparing something with how quiet they've been past the Arctic. It was overly hopeful, and perhaps I was setting myself up for defence here, but how is this all you can produce?

You've had YEARS to come up with something, all the time you could ask for. Yet you can't even produce something with half the wordcount of your last platform. You could even be bothered to copy it, save taking one or two ideas from it, one of which is Icebreakers! The one policy here no one could ever ask for!

The water in Trenton has lead contamination. There are Chinese sensors in the North-West Passage that we dont want to talk about. Our military is rusting out. You would know this if you listen to the Conservatives own Shadow Minister! Yet all you can offer is 13 lines.

Thirteen lines of mostly generic, undefined policy. The Liberals get hate for this too, but at least they fucking tried. These are mostly just generic promises! No capability building, no foreign policy, barely any benefit to the actual men and woman working hard to keep this shit running.

A weak layer of bureaucracy for procurement reform? That's it? Generic talk of streamlining? The worst part is there is stuff I here thats good. Arctic Security Corridor? Awesome! Not pulling Buy-Canadian shit? Great! I'll never argue building infrastructure, even if I dont agree, at least its out there.

But how can I compare two policies when one is half the size and lacking entire sections? No foundational reform, no relationship building. Nothing. Not a single thing, outside a single like on CANZUK?

What will it take? What more has to be done? What more can be screamed about before someone takes the defence of our country seriously? These are people who should know more about these threats than me! They should know the threats were under. Yet silence amd half-assed platforms are all you can give?

It is tiring, very tiring to scream to the heavens. Maybe we do need to be more open about our threats, but if this is all you can do? How can I trust you in the future if you can't step up in the most vulnerable of times? Even the Greens had a longer platform! It wasnt great, I didnt like it at all, but at least they stuck to themselves and felt like they put in the effort.

This is dry, cold and uninspired. It is a massive downgrade from even the last platform. I refuse to give them the benefit here. I refuse to let them off the hook. Is that fair when I did a long breakdown of the Liberals? Maybe not, but what can I say to this that I haven't already said? I have thirteen bulket points to work with, most generic or already overly discussed.

Clap your hands Conservative caucus! You had all the time, all the energy. You could have done anything, and you chose this. I wont waste the time or effort into breaking down something as disappointing and empty as this. I refuse. I refused for the NDP, and I can to you.

I am disappointed, awestruck that this is all we can get. I apologize to those who expect me to be a neutral analyst here. I apologize that this goes against my positive, level headed nature.

Sometimes though, the truth needs to be spoken. Sometimes it is worse to try and spin a positive out of things than it is to just say it put loud what the issued are.

There are good ideas here. There are. There are things it does fine. AEW? Great, and not tying it to Buy-Canadian forcibly. In some cases I argue the silence is good! Again, disregarding some of the harder Buy-Canadian is okay to not include.

Yet for all it does well, it can't be saved from the fact it offers so little, misses so much, is so much worse than the past. I called the Liberal policy gum the other day. This is like bread, plain, there, bland, but at least you aren't starving. At least there is some commitment to 2% in 2030.

I just wish they understood how bad things really are.