Former Conservative defence minister ‘cautiously optimistic’ about new NATO commitment

Canada is pledging to spend two per cent of its GDP on NATO this fiscal year.

Canada is vowing to meet NATO’s defence spending commitment this year – five years ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s campaign promise – but critics say they’re waiting to see how it’s rolled out.

Carney made the announcement in Toronto Monday morning, saying his government will rapidly advance its military spending timeline to hit the NATO target of two per cent of national GDP by adding $9 billion in spending to the fiscal framework this year.

“Canada will achieve NATO’s two per cent target this year, half a decade ahead of schedule,” the prime minister said, stating the country is confronting an alarming new world of threats, and depends too much on an increasingly unreliable United States for its defence.

Carney added he plans to accelerate that timeline again within the next few years.

The federal government currently spends about 1.45 per cent of real GDP on defence and has not hit the two per cent target since 1990 — despite having promised its biggest allies for years that it would.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said his government welcomes Carney’s commitment to invest in the Canadian Armed Forces, saying it will better protect the country.

“Nova Scotia is ready to step up to help protect Canada while creating good-paying jobs through manufacturing, technology and the development of the critical minerals and raw materials needed to rebuild our military right here,” said Houston in a news release following the announcement.

“We have a proud history of military service, with the most military members per capita across Canada.”

However, Carney’s spending announcement isn’t without its critics.

Peter MacKay, former Conservative federal defence minister and Nova Scotia MP, says the money is long overdue and he’s heard similar promises before.

“This last 10 years has not been particularly optimistic for the Canadian Armed Forces, so this is a lifeline,” MacKay told CTV News.

MacKay also noted it won’t be easy to move such a large figure through Parliament.

“Colour me as cautiously optimistic but somewhat cynical. I’m stunned, quite frankly, that the government has made this type of announcement and yet isn’t tabling a budget until the fall. It is very much words, not deeds, that people are a bit cynical about,” said MacKay.

“To his credit, I think Prime Minister Carney is reading the mood of the country and looking out at the geopolitical scene.”

MacKay noted that recruitment to the Canadian Armed Forces must be one of the top priorities.

“Members who are ready to serve, to deploy, to prepare for what may come, these are our finest citizens, but they’re hard to recruit at this time,” he said. “We need to see that actual effort take place.”

Ken Hansen, a defence analyst and researcher, agrees staffing needs to be addressed.

“The military is so horribly short of people that they’re almost unable to do anything but the very baseline commitments,” said Hansen.

Robert Huish, associate professor of international development studies at Dalhousie University, said the NATO commitment could represent a shift in Canada’s defence priorities.

“I think that’s a huge step for Mr. Carney to say that Canada has to go its own way now,” Huish said.

“We can’t be relying on the United States to cover our defence needs any further. We’re not just going to sit back and wait for the Americans to bail us out in a crisis. This is now going to be Canada-driven, down its own path, and its own future when it comes to defence spending.

“It probably speaks to the fact that we did not meet our NATO commitments in the past to the levels that we should of and, honestly, it has left us vulnerable.”

The spending is expected to cover four key areas:

• attracting members to the Canadian Armed Forces
• enhancing military capabilities
• strengthening the defence industry
• diversifying defence partnerships

Carney noted only one-in-four of Canada’s submarines are seaworthy and less than half of its Maritime fleet and land vehicles are operational.

The commitment also comes with a pledge to create tens of thousands of jobs.

With files from CTVNews.ca and CTV Atlantic’s Callum Smith