Canada's new defence policy is at risk of becoming a "hoax" unless the government acts to strengthen the country's coasts, says a Senate security and defence committee report released Wednesday.

Senator Colin Kenny chaired the panel.
(CBC)

In its fourth national security report, the Senate panel accuses the government of ignoring the basic need to defend Canada's coastlines in its "Canada First" defence policy.

"This policy is going to amount to a hoax if thousands of miles of Canadian coastline is left unguarded," the report states, adding that without a coherent policy to protect Canada's shores, "it will be a fraudulent attempt to pretend that the government is defending Canadians, when it isn't."

The committee takes particular aim at the federal government's plan to focus resources to defend Arctic waters, especially when the defence of Canada's waters on the east, south and west coasts is in "disarray"

The panel said it's "unfathomable" that the government wants the Canadian navy much more involved in Canada's northern waters, where it says little or no security threats exist.

"Draining the navy's already inadequate budget to play such an inappropriate role makes no military sense," the panel states.

Instead, the government should procure three year-round Class 10 icebreakers for the coast guard to patrol Arctic waters, the Senate report says.

Other recommendations include:

• Eight new coast guard cutters to be deployed on the east and west coasts.
• The implementation of a new satellite system by 2010 that will give Canadian defensive forces a clear, real-time picture of shipping activity.
• Increasing the staffing of the RCMP Marine and Ports Branch by between 1,200 and 1,400.