Prime Minister Paul Martin looked very much like he was on the campaign trail Tuesday, promising to enhance the Canadian military and deal with the mad cow crisis.

Martin said he intends to persuade U.S. President George Bush to open the border to Canadian beef when the two meet in Monterrey, Mexico, for a Summit of the Americas on Jan 12-13.

"The problems that have to be dealt with are the same on both sides of the border," Martin told reporters in Nova Scotia. "That Canada has acted very quickly. Has taken very, very significant actions....That has to be recognized."

U.S. officials said Monday there will be no decision on resuming live cattle trade with Canada until the United States is finished investigating the latest mad cow case.

Meanwhile, Canadian and U.S. officials await test results that will show whether the Holstein at the centre of the crisis came from Canada.

Aside from the ongoing trade dispute, the focus of Tuesday's visit to Nova Scotia appeared to be Scott Brison, a former Progressive Conservative MP who defected to the Liberals on Dec. 11.

Brison appeared alongside Martin during the news conference Tuesday. His new boss again welcomed him, and defended Brison against suggestions that he was a "turncoat."

"What in fact has happened is that Scott Brison has been very, very faithful to his principles and I think he's going to make a great addition to the government of Canada," Martin said.

Brison joined the Liberal Party after the Progressive Conservatives and Canadian Alliance parties agreed to merge into the Conservative Party of Canada.

Conservatives in the riding of Kings-Hant have been largely supportive of Brison, who was considered a potential leadership candidate for the new party. Brison said it was too right wing for him.

Martin earlier visited the Canadian Forces Base Greenwood in Annapolis Valley where he shook hands with several pilots and ground crew.

The prime minister said he plans improve Canada's global presence by boosting support to the military, left in tatters from years of cutbacks.

"As a country we have a series of priorities. And there is no doubt that our role in the world is one of those priorities," Martin told reporters.

"The fact is that the government is also financially constrained.

"But there is no doubt that we are not going to send our men and women abroad unless they are in equipment that is top of the line."

He visited the air force base with Defence Minister David Pratt, who took over the portfolio in a cabinet shuffle following Jean Chretien's retirement.

Martin also promised reporters he would "act very rapidly" if a police probe finds links between his government and organized crime in British Columbia.

"When the investigation is complete, if there are any consequences flowing from that, we will act very rapidly."

Martin was referring to an RCMP raid of the B.C. legislature on Dec. 28 as part of a police investigation into a drug smuggling and money laundering ring.

So far no charges have been laid, but police continue to investigate possible links between organized crime and two Liberal party workers. It's still unclear how the investigation is connected to the Liberal party as search warrants have not been opened to the public.