Scott Anderson, Member of Parliament for Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee

06/20/2026

Why the F-35?

Emotion seems to be driving much of the popular opinion against the F35 in Canada. It's American, Trump is American, Trump is bad, therefore American is bad, therefore the F35 is bad. To this I say Trump has treated Canada badly but Trump will be gone in two years and the US will remain. Trump is a short term problem, and working with the US is our long term destiny. We have no choice because look at a map.

To date the US military continues to work seamlessly with the Canadian military, ignoring to the extent possible the noise from Ottawa and the White House. This is a good thing because it preserves the interoperability of the two forces and our mutual ability to resist outside aggression.

Most civilian Americans don't spend their days thinking about Canadians like we seem sometimes to think about Americans, but so far they seem to have a general sense of friendship toward us, and some of them are actively embarrassed at Trump's behaviour toward us. We share democratic ideals, cultural norms, legal precepts and we have died together on foreign fields defending those things. We have been friends for over two centuries.

But both Democrats and Republicans in the US are nervous about our ties to China, whether it's our security arrangements or our trade arrangements. And not just rabid MAGA Republicans either...Michigan Democrats are pushing to ban Canadian Chinese imports. If Carney stops trying to poison the well with the US and trying to turn Canada into a province of Europe, relations have a chance to normalize after Trump leaves. Otherwise, the short term problem is going to become a long term problem.

But I digress.

The F35 and the Gripen are two types of planes.

The Gripen is STOL, adapted to rough tactical conditions, and made for fighting over electronically protected skies in a defensive stance. They are cheap, easy to repair, and have some adaptive advantages. It depends upon an American engine to live up to its claims.

The CEO of SAAB recently explained to me that SAAB has developed the ability - if I understood him correctly - to separate the flying components from the accessory components, allowing major changes to be made to weaponry, radar, etc. without having to wait for recertification, because none of the flying components had to be changed. Apparently in other aircraft, everything is mixed together so that any changes have to be recertified and that takes ~ 18 months.
The F35 is expensive, difficult to repair, and requires a massive logistical tail. And it's American, although many of its parts are made in Canada. The F35 is also stealth, making it the only possible choice for Arctic forward defence.

A top RCAF general explained it to me at a conference recently in Ottawa. Because all armaments and fuel tanks are internal in the F35, it looks like a golf ball to the enemy. The pilot has the ability to see his/her own radar profile - what the enemy sees - from inside the cockpit so they can adjust trim etc. to optimize stealth.

The F35 also seamlessly integrates various detection devices to produce a 360degree visual without having to use different instruments to get the full icture. And of course it's already communication-ready with Norad because it was built with Norad in mind.

At a recent "war game" in Ottawa, in which a situation is gamed out by top military planners, when an F35 attacked a Russian invasion fleet, the Russians were not even given a roll of the dice, because by the time the F35 payloads hit, the F35s were already back out of range, never having been detected. It's important to note that they were in unprotected skies without electronic cover, and still inseen.

Conversely, he said the Gripen was fine for tactical fighting in protected skies, but the minute you strap on a missile or external fuel tank, it lights up radar all around. Gripens cannot be used for forward defence. They cannot be used in the Arctic. They can be used to fight over our cities, but by then we're already losing.

The Gripens are cool and nifty, but the F35 is the only fighter that can actually do the job the CAF needs it to do.

Photo credit: EurAsianTimes.com

06/19/2026

Not long ago I asked Dr. Shimooka about the degree of urgency called for for Canada to rearm. He is not alone in his answer, and in fact most or even all our expert witnesses at NDDN (Standing Committee) have indicated the need for extreme haste in rearming.

I am very skeptical of the Liberal Defence Investment Agency's ability to speed things up by adding another layer of sluggish bureaucracy.

The Liberals have had the power to move on all fronts for a year, since we gave them C5, on the strength of a promise to move at speeds not seen for generations. What they apparently forgot to mention was the number of generations, because so far this speed is so slow we haven't seen it since the melting of the last ice age.

We still don't have a pipeline or the promise of one...but two years after his promise, he's about to decide...drum roll...if a pipeline is in the national interest! The F35s, decided years ago and billions sunk into R&D, are currently "under review" yet again while Carney kicks Trump in the shins. Cargo ships that can't get built, rifles that took ten years to sign off on and Carney and Fuhr want to add more bureaucracy? They're proud because they finally signed the yellowing procurement contract sitting on a shelf waiting for someone to take an interest?

I am not encouraged.

06/19/2026

Congratulations Graduation Class of 2026!

06/18/2026

06/17/2026

Congratulations to all of the cadets, Petty Officers, and Officers of 63 Kalamalka RCSCC on a successful Annual Ceremonial Review!
Although I was in Ottawa and unable to attend in person, I was grateful to be invited and pleased that a member of my staff could attend on my behalf to present awards to two very deserving cadets.
Thank you to the dedicated volunteers, officers, parents, and organizers whose commitment keeps this program thriving year after year. Congratulations to everyone involved!

06/17/2026

Vernon-Lake-Country-Monashee MP calls for full opening of Vernon Army Base

Bowen Assman
Jun 17, 2026
Castanet

Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee MP Scott Anderson is urging the federal government to fully reopen the Vernon Army Base for the Canadian Armed Forces.

Anderson presented a letter to Minister of National Defence David McGuinty on Tuesday, June 16, to ask him to fully utilize the facility, pointing to the government’s active plans to expand the CAF reserve force from 23,000 to 30,000 personnel.

"Given that the infrastructure is already in place at the Vernon base to house at least 1,000 personnel, it seems only common sense to use it to its full potential," Anderson said.

Anderson said that he has received letters of support from surrounding municipal councils and they have all "overwhelmingly ensured local support."

“This government is promising to spend taxpayer money to expand the CAF,” Anderson, adding that utilizing the base will benefit the region economically and its central location will aid in firefighting and natural disaster relief.

“It makes sense to keep that money in Canada if possible, and it makes sense to save taxpayers millions of dollars in new construction costs if possible. The Vernon base achieves both these goals.”

Anderson, a veteran who sits on the Standing Committee on National Defence, noted that using existing facilities saves taxpayers millions of dollars in new construction costs. He added that the North Okanagan's geography, with its local airport, dense forests, mountains, and lakes, provides an ideal environment for diverse operational training exercises.

Photo credit: Castanet

06/16/2026

I agree. Someday I would like to see Canadians who fought for Ukraine in the International Legion honoured as well.

🇨🇦 Standing in the shadow of Parliament Hill, Ottawa, surrounded by those who gave everything for Canada. This is the Valiants Memorial — 14 life-sized bronze figures, nine busts and five statues, each one a chapter in Canada’s military story.

From the battlefields of 1812 to the skies of WWII, these are the men and women who shaped a nation. Among them: Victoria Cross recipients who displayed extraordinary courage under fire — soldiers, airmen, and sailors whose bravery became legend.

But walk around this memorial and you’ll notice some gaps. Canada sent 26,000 troops to Korea. We were the backbone of UN Peacekeeping for decades, losing hundreds of lives wearing the blue beret. And 158 Canadians came home from Afghanistan draped in flags. Where are their faces here?

These weren’t lesser wars. They were lesser memorials.

It’s time to add three more figures to this circle. A Korean War veteran. A Peacekeeper. A soldier from Kandahar. They earned their place in bronze just as much as anyone here. 🎖️

“No day will ever erase you from the memory of time.” — Virgil

Do you agree? 👇🇨🇦

06/16/2026

A few photos from Oyama Fun Day 2026 last weekend.
It was great to connect with residents, meet new people, catch up with familiar faces, and hear about some of the exciting events happening across our communities this summer. The pancake breakfast was a hit too!
Thanks to everyone who helped make the day a success.

06/16/2026

Congratulations to Vice-Admiral Dan Charlebois on assuming command of the Royal Canadian Navy.
As Canada faces growing challenges at home and abroad, strong leadership within our Armed Forces is more important than ever. I wish Vice-Admiral Charlebois every success in his new role and thank Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee for his dedicated service to Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy.

Vice-Admiral Dan Charlebois assumed command of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) from Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee this morning during a formal change of command ceremony, presided over by General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff, at His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Star in Hamilton, Ontario.

06/15/2026

Ignore the picture. Yes I know she's cute.

One of the scariest things about contemporary Canadian politics at the federal level is the increasing chasm between Liberal talk and reality.

Mr François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of "National Revenue," (known to the great unwashed as "taxation") repeatedly shouts out that "Canadians have good news," followed by some overhyped and anemic statistic, ending with the rhetorical flourish: "we're building the second strongest economy in the G7." In the same spirit of reality-denial, the Liberal Party, with the same Ministers in the same front bench as the past ten years, is attempting to brand itself as a "new" government, even though very little has changed in the Liberal Party outside the cosmetics and various promises that never seem to manifest.

Meanwhile, reality goes in a very different direction. We're nowhere near the "second strongest" anything. In fact we're the only G7 or even G20 country in recession. Mexico is beside the US and doing well. Now we learn that debt is climbing faster than income in Canada, which means we're all in negative territory due to inflation, due to printing money. Carney has even run out of wars to blame since the Ukrainians are beginning to take net territory and the US has stopped its war with Iran.

While Canadians are suffering, this guy has spent over a million dollars on hospitality alone, flitting about Europe and occasionally touching down in Canada to yell at his underlings in Ottawa. Oh, let's not forget poisoning the well for the next US administration to repair Trump's damage, by cozying up to China.

Some Canadians still believe in this Carneynomics charade, which has made Canada the only G20 country in recession and falling faster than any other, but it must be starting to wear thin.

Now this tidbit of "good news," courtesy of the Liberal benches.
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Statistics Canada reports household debt outpaced income in first quarter

Canadian Press
Jun 12, 2026
Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the amount Canadian households owe outpaced income for the sixth straight quarter. The agency says the seasonally adjusted ratio of household credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable rose 0.

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the amount Canadian households owe outpaced income for the sixth straight quarter.

The agency says the seasonally adjusted ratio of household credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable rose 0.9 percentage points to 179.6 per cent in this first quarter of this year.
In other words, there was roughly $1.80 in credit market debt for every dollar of household disposable income.

The seasonally adjusted household debt service ratio — measured as total obligated payments of principal and interest on credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income — was 14.75 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, up from 14.68 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The pace of seasonally adjusted household credit market borrowing, which includes consumer credit and mortgage and non-mortgage loans, totalled $35.5 billion in the first quarter, up from $34.5 billion in the last quarter of 2025.

The move came as net originations of mortgage loans fell to $22.6 billion in the quarter, compared with $26.3 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, offset by increases in consumer credit and non-mortgage debt.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2026.

The Canadian Press