On choices

In the wake of the Cons' arbitrary and unnecessary spending cuts, word comes out that the Cons have managed to find some added money to pour into advertising for new military recruits:

Ongoing recruitment challenges are putting at risk a Conservative government promise to expand the Canadian Forces by 13,000 soldiers and boost the reserves by 10,000 more, according to documents tabled in Parliament.

Spending estimates and plans also reveal the Forces will double their advertising budget to $15.5 million this year including costs associated with a flashy and sometimes controversial new recruitment advertising campaign to cope...

According to the estimates, the Forces will get a previously unannounced $7.5 million infusion into its advertising budget this year, bringing the total to more than $15 million.

It's particularly interesting to note the relatively similar amounts and aims involved in the military advertising which is being increased, as opposed to the anti-smoking advertising which was cut. For the Cons, preventing cancer and other harmful health effects isn't apparently worth public money...but when it comes to finding new cannon fodder for Afghanistan, no amount of spending or publicity is too much.