OTTAWA — The former commander of the country's special forces says no matter how many "sunny ways" there are in Canada, the reality of the world outside is that people continue to kill people and that is something the nation needs to understand.
The blunt talk by retired lieutenant-general Mike Day comes as the Trudeau government mulls options for its much-anticipated defence policy review, which will set the future course for the military.
Day referred to "sunny ways," the unofficial catchphrase of the Liberal campaign, at the end of cautionary speech to a Mackenzie Institute conference on future conflicts.
He says those clashes will be messy, ill-defined and driven by climate change and world demographic shifts.
His presentation underscores the challenge facing the new government as it tries to figure out how to defend the country, but also act with "responsible conviction" — as Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion puts it — on the international stage.
The commander of the navy, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, says it is absolutely essential to get the policy review right.
The Liberals have yet to formally launch the review and public consultations — something they promised in the last election — but insist the exercise will be done by the end of the year.
