Defence Minister Peter MacKay has been quoted as saying that the Organization of American States has been putting pressure on the Canadian government to arm the coast guard as part of efforts to combat drug and other smuggling. “This is something we obviously have to contemplate whether to further up-armour some of these coast guard vessels and to have weapons aboard,” MacKay told journalists.
But will it happen? And does it make sense?
In 2010 a Senate committee on fisheries and oceans thought so……at least for the Arctic.
On December 14, 2010 that senate committee released a report entitled Controlling Canadian Arctic Waters, in which it recommended the Canadian government follow the U.S. model and arm its Coast Guard vessels for northern patrols.
The committee recommended deck weapons be installed on Coast Guard icebreakers and personnel from appropriate government agencies who have authority to enforce domestic laws using weapons serve on those ships.
“We’re saying that the Coast Guard’s vessels are what we need to be the sharp end of Canadian enforcement in the Arctic,” committee chairman, Liberal Party Senator Bill Rompkey told Defence Watch at the time. “Let the navy do its job around our other coasts and internationally.”
Rompkey said new vessels to be built in the future for the Coast Guard should also be outfitted with weapons.
The Coast Guard has pointed out that when it works with the RCMP, that federal police force provides arms on board, if needed for a particular mission. However, those are mainly small arms and do not include deck-mounted weaponry.
Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: David Pugliese
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