OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says his biggest regret over the last year is the slow pace of improvement when it comes to supporting Canadian troops dealing with mental-health injuries and other issues.
Sajjan blames spending cuts under the previous Conservative government and its emphasis on more teeth and less tail, for increased wait times for troops seeking help, as well as problems delivering pensions.
The Liberal government is currently drawing up a new defence policy, which Sajjan says will be released next year and go a long way to addressing these problems.
As for the fight against the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Sajjan says Canadian soldiers will remain in Iraq and surrounding region over the long-term to help protect the gains that have been made against the militant group.
Officials say ISIL's defeat in the city of Mosul, its last bastion in Iraq, is inevitable.
But there are fears it will remain a threat by going underground and resorting to suicide attacks and other insurgent tactics.
