Yeah, I don't think we actually disagree with much - I certainly agree with the priorities you listed.
However, I also think that defense is also a priority - one that is becoming increasingly urgent with the general state of the world and the unreliability of our closest ally, and that has been neglected for decades.
And I'm not sure I buy in to the idea that we have to choose amongst those priorities. That kind of rhetoric is used to justify all kinds of cuts.
Yeah, the article breezes by it, but Canada's ridiculous procurement efforts have been well-documented elsewhere.