Banff-Airdrie Member of Parliament Blake Richards is inviting constituents in the community to a roundtable discussion on defence policy.

The Trudeau Liberal government has announced it will be doing a Defence Policy Review that's been initiated on Canada's future defence strategy, Richards says the review troubles him.

"The last time the Liberals were in power the military referred to it as 'the decade of darkness'," he explains. "It was because they really weren't having the needs they had for equipment, and supplies being taken care of. Obviously we're in a time where there is a need to ensure that our military is well prepared for the challenges they face."

Richards says the Liberal government is is cutting back on military spending.

"The liberal government seems to have indicated that it wants to try and save some money, on the backs of our military men and women. We've seen about $3.7 billion worth of military equipment being postponed."

Richards shares multiple projects will be halted due to these cuts including Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships, replacements for the CF-18s, the Cyclone Maritime Helicopter Project, and the Integrated Soldier System Project.

He believes now is the time to prioritize military funding, not minimize it.

"We're in a time right now where as terrible as it is, we're seeing terrorism, and rogue states. This is a time where we really just can't afford to see cuts to our military, we have to make sure they're well prepared."

Richards would like constituents to have their input heard at the Cochrane Legion on August 3, 2016, from 2:30 pm to 4 pm.

"We've got a lot of veterans who have served this country that live in our area, and I want to make sure they have a chance. They have expertise, they have understanding of the needs of the military, and what our operational capabilities need to be."

All comments will be submitted to the Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Harjit Sajjan.

For more information call 1-800-667-0410