The Globe: Prime Minister Stephen Harper took a swipe at the “soft” defence policies of previous Liberal governments as he congratulated Canadian troops for the relief and reconstruction work they are doing in this largely ruined Haitian city. Much of the equipment and supplies that have been airlifted into Haiti by Canada since the earthquake last month was delivered on a Boeing C-17 Globemaster. The Conservative government bought four of the giant aircraft in 2007 for $1.8-billion plus an estimated $1.6-billion for 20 years of service. “This fleet of new aircraft, the C-17 fleet, is a big part of making this response possible. I single out the C-17 for a reason. There was a time when that kind of heavy lift aircraft didn't fit Canada's soft-power policies,” Mr. Harper told soldiers yesterday at a steamy military camp on the city's outskirts with a crumbled house as a backdrop.
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