As Bill Blair ramps up his warnings about the state of the military, Trudeau sticks to his script

There's a school of thought that suggests it's never a good idea to disagree with your boss, at least in public.

Behind closed doors? Maybe.

But in front of an audience of hundreds of people, many of them with strong political views? Maybe not.

Defence Minister Bill Blair still went there Thursday in his keynote speech at the annual Conference of Defence Associations Institute (CDAI) when he chose to address growing unease about Canada's place in the world — and the military's waning capacity to be there in a meaningful way when the call comes from the federal government and allies.

Almost a year ago, the CDAI issued an open letter signed by dozens of this country's former top security officials, military commanders and politicians imploring the Liberal government to take national security and defence more seriously.

In reply, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pointed out a year ago that there are many demands on the federal government and suggested those who signed the letter were simply lobbying for something that concerns them.

"It's really important for people in these industries to advocate," he said. "Governments are challenged with a whole bunch of priorities that we have to invest in and get the balance right on."

Without naming the prime minister, the head of the CDAI, retired lieutenant-general Guy Thibault — himself a former vice-chief of the defence staff — insisted at the opening of the conference on Thursday that matters of national security and defence are not special interests.

"It was somewhat disheartening to see senior folks refer to the message and the authors simply as lobbyists and just another special interest group pushing on the government to increase spending for their particular cause," said Thibault.

"I think sometimes this kind of reaction generates a bit of ambivalence and indifference towards national defence and the Canadian Armed Forces in our society at large."

Blair was not ambivalent in his response once he got to the podium. He said he disagreed "completely" with "the dismissal of some as lobbyists and business interests."

He acknowledged the military faces a "death spiral" on recruitment and said it's completely "unacceptable" that — as CBC News reported on Wednesday — almost half of the military's equipment is considered "unserviceable" and only 58 per cent of personnel could respond if NATO called in a crisis.

The prime minister, meanwhile, stuck to his well-worn lines when asked about the state of readiness within the military by pointing to the budget increases that have happened since the Liberals assumed power a decade ago.

"These are things that we have stepped up on," Trudeau said at an event Thursday at the Women's College Hospital in Toronto.