Defence Minister Bill Blair on Friday pushed back on U.S. critics of Canada’s defence spending, saying the eight-year plan to reach its NATO commitment was “credible and verifiable” despite reports saying otherwise.
Speaking to reporters at the opening of the Halifax International Security Forum, Blair said “nobody has to argue with me” that Canada needs to spend more on defence, and that the federal government was making the necessary investments, but more international and industry collaboration is needed to reach the NATO spending target.
“I’ve told (our allies) they are pushing on an open door,” Blair said. “We are going to make those investments.
“We know that we need to do more, but it’s (about) getting there in a timely way. It’s going to require cooperation and collaboration with our closest allies, with industry and some really hard work by the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Canada is one of just eight NATO members not meeting the alliance’s benchmark of spending at least two per cent of GDP on defence. Its updated defence policy forecasts spending will rise from 1.37 per cent of GDP currently to 1.76 per cent by 2030.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed at July’s NATO summit that Canada’s defence spending will hit two per cent by 2032. Yet the parliamentary budget officer last month said the government’s plan for achieving that is unclear and based on “erroneous” economic projections.
The financial watchdog’s report said Canada will have to nearly double its annual military spending to $81.9 billion from current levels to achieve the NATO target.
But Blair, who has previously dismissed the PBO’s findings, said Friday the 2032 timeline was “realistic” given how long it will take to deliver on equipment like naval destroyers and F-35 fighter jets.
The incoming Donald Trump administration is expected to take a hardline stance on NATO…
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