On icebreakers

Following up on the Star Phoenix' editorial which I linked to this morning, let's note one other development which speaks volumes about the gap between what the Cons have promised when it comes to the Arctic and what they have any apparent intention of delivering:

Defence analysts have complained that the Conservatives are forcing both the navy and coast guard to shoehorn their purchases into a pre-defined budget, rather building ships that make sense.

The most recent example is the Harper government's pet project to construct six Arctic patrols ships. In order to stay within budget, the navy recently watered down its expectations of what the light icebreakers, meant to enforce Canada's sovereignty in the North, can do.

Or, put in visual terms, the Cons are claiming credit for this:


But with the Cons having been too busy declaring their own greatness to actually get much done, the actual results are more like this: