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Federal Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault proposed plans to build a 120,000 People’s Defense Corps and expanded Canada’s reserves in Whitehorse on Monday.
Pedneault said it was “building resilience, defending our democracy and strengthening the entire social effort of the community.”
Pedneault refers to a changing climate, “a new geopolitical fault line,” and that mysterious balloon was shot down in the Yukon, Pedneault said, clearly, Canada is “not safe the way it used to be.”
Pedneault spoke at a press conference for Gabrielle Dupont, a local candidate for the party, describing a national civil defense regiment “high-paying jobs” and prioritizing former oil and gas workers in order to move towards a green economy.
“We want to have a large workforce that spreads across the country, and that these workers can operate as independently as possible through high-paying jobs and salaries from the federal government, with clear responsibility for taking care of the community and becoming managers of emergency preparedness,” he said.
He also suggested Free Civil Defense Training for any Canadian who wants.
“If every Canadian, regardless of Canadian, they want to gain basic emergency preparedness skills, first aid, cybersecurity, crisis response, they will be able to use it – so that no one should be left behind in the event of a power outage, wildfire or digital vulnerability,” he said.
He also promises optional defensive skills training for “thousands of Canadians” such as gun training, survival techniques and tactical first aid.
“These tools are not only for conflict, but for strikes and emphasis, but are tools to be resilient, to help neighbors and lead in times of crisis,” he said.
“Canada lags behind democratic allies in civilian preparation.”
Pedneault also promised to increase Canada’s reserves by 20,000 to fund the expansion of the Canadian Rangers and overhaul the Canadian Service Team. For the young, and “place the Inuit, Dine, Grich and other indigenous countries at the heart of our Arctic Indigenous strategy.”
Pedneault believes that the party’s plan is “not a call for militarization” but is about community preparation.
He also acknowledged that the ambitious plan would cost “billions of dollars” while other parties called for fiscal restrictions. Pedneault believes that it is not the time to cut federal spending, but to collect more taxes from big businesses.
“It’s important to be aware of the crisis we are in,” Pedneault said.
“We need Canadians to know that the state is there to help them through these difficult times so that Canadians are willing and ready to serve when Canada needs them. And that time may be coming soon.”
“On the front line”
The party’s Yukon candidate Dupont argued that the north was the “front line.”
“We are on the frontlines of climate change, we are on the frontlines of energy self-sufficiency, and we are on the frontlines of Arctic geopolitics. Let’s prepare us for these challenges,” she said.
The Greens have been trying to gain a foothold in the Yukon region, finishing fifth in the 2021 general election with just four points. The party’s best performance ever made on the territory was in 2011, when selector John Streicker, now the cabinet minister of the territory’s Liberal Government, won third place with an 18% vote.
Pedneault was the first Federal leader to visit the Yukon or any territory during this federal campaign.
Liberal leader Mark Carney visited Iqaluit as prime minister earlier this month ahead of the election appeal, announcing plans to provide plans for new early radar systems in the Arctic, as well as other infrastructure investments.
New Democratic leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also visited Iqaluit before the election was called.
During his visit earlier this month, Singh announced that his party would cancel the contract to purchase our built F-35 in Canada and look for companies to build fighter jets in Canada.
During his visit in February, Poilievre said his party would double the size of the Canadian Rangers and build a permanent military base at Nunavut Capital.
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