OTTAWA -- There's no guarantee the next federal budget will put more money into the beleaguered military, but the defence minister says he's pushing hard for more. David Pratt also says he thinks the Defence Department has made its contribution to Ottawa's penny-pinching efforts.
Treasury Board President Reg Alcock has said he wants to pare $1 billion from government departments in anticipation of the next budget. Pratt says, though, that Defence has done its share, reallocating $200 million in this year's budget.
Any more money saved should stay with Defence, not get kicked back to the treasury, he added.
"I would like to see us able to continue to reallocate within the department to spend on higher priorities, but not necessarily to give money back to the centre," Pratt said.
"At this point, we do need all the resources we can possibly get."
Pratt took office a month ago, when he was promoted from chairperson of the Commons defence committee.
At 49, he's younger than his four immediate predecessors. He came to the Commons from Ottawa municipal politics and worked his way from faceless backbencher to committee chairman with dogged determination.
He's a stocky, square-faced man with a cropped brush of dark hair that becomes unruly between haircuts, and a trademark crooked grin.
His time on the defence committee gave him a deeper grounding in military issues than any minister in decades. He's highly respected in the defence community, but viewed with suspicion as a hawk by more liberal elements.
He's probably the most gung-ho minister in recent memory.
He doesn't subscribe to the idea that the military should become a lightly armed, sensitive peacekeeping machine. He wants a medium-weight force that can fight if it has to.
On the committee, he was an aggressive supporter of the department, pushing for more money and better treatment for the troops. He favoured joining the American missile defence plan and thought Canada should have sent troops to war in Iraq.
Now, as minister, he has to walk the walk. He may be helped by the fact Prime Minister Paul Martin has signalled he's more supportive of the military than his predecessor, Jean Chretien.
In Martin's first week in office, he visited National Defence Headquarters. Chretien was never there in 10 years in office.
After his first cabinet meeting, Martin announced a freeze on all capital spending programs except the military helicopter replacement project, which was revved up after a decade on idle.
"He appreciates the role that the Forces play both nationally and internationally," Pratt said.
But he acknowledged that signals of support don't necessarily translate into cash. "Money is obviously pretty tight."
Pratt said he thinks Defence will get more support as the economy and government finances improve.
