David Pratt (politician) - National Politics

National Politics

As Minister of National Defence, Pratt was directly involved in several major procurement projects totaling $7 billion including the Maritime Helicopter Program to replace the aging Sea King fleet, the Mobile Gun System and a new fixed wing search and rescue aircraft. He also obtained federal cabinet approval for the Joint Support Ship program to provide new supply ships for the Canadian Navy. As the local Ottawa cabinet minister, he worked with provincial and municipal officials to assemble $600 million in funding for a proposed light rail transit system – a project that was subsequently cancelled by the City of Ottawa.

As Chair of the Commons Defence Committee, he was a strong advocate for increased military spending both before and after the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001. Under his leadership, the defence committee released a report entitled: “Facing Our Responsibilities: The state of readiness of the Canadian Forces” which called for substantial new investments in Canada’s military capabilities. As committee chair, Pratt also argued strongly for a more bi-partisan approach to defence issues and for regular reviews of Canadian foreign and defence policy. He successfully sponsored a resolution in Parliament to declare the first Sunday in June “Canadian Forces Day” and contributed to policy debates on defence and security matters with two papers: “Fostering Human Security: A Joint Canada-US Brigade,” (October 2000) and “Does Canada Need A Foreign Intelligence Agency?” (March 2003).

In 1999, Pratt served as a Special Envoy for Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs to Sierra Leone and performed the same role for Axworthy’s successor, John Manley. He visited the war torn country on several occasions. He met and held talks with the former Sierra Leonean President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, and former President Charles Taylor of Liberia, President Lansana Conte of Guinea, and other senior officials and diplomatic representatives including Revolutionary United Front leader Foday Sankoh. He wrote two reports - “The Forgotten Crisis” (April 1999) and “Sierra Leone: Danger and Opportunity in a Regional Conflict” (July 2001). His recommendations called for more Canadian aid to Sierra Leone and more direct Canadian involvement to bring peace to the region. He also suggested that Liberian President Charles Taylor be investigated by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in prolonging the regional conflict. Pratt also introduced the first legislation in Canada to certify diamonds under the United Nations sanctioned Kimberley Process to stop the trade in blood diamonds and to protect the integrity of the Canadian diamond industry. Similar government sponsored legislation was eventually passed by Parliament.

A strong advocate of physical fitness, in July 2003, he completed the grueling four-day 160 kilometer International Four Days Marches Nijmegen with members of the Canadian Forces – the first Canadian Member of Parliament to do so. In the 2004 federal election, he lost his seat to the Conservative candidate, forcing his departure as Defence Minister three weeks later.