Veteran, Conservative leadership candidate Alleslev says Canada must invest more in defence

CTV QP: One-on-one with Leslyn Lewis Conservative leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis discusses her position on abortion, the 'Freedom Convoy' protests and her vaccination status.

Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate and military veteran Leona Alleslev says Canada must “significantly” increase its defence spending in response to the global instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In an interview on CTV News Channel’s Power Play on Monday, Alleslev said shoring up funds to bolster the capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces requires prioritizing the economy and security at the same time.

“The economy and security go together and you’re going to have to grow the economy so that you can pay for defence and you need to have defence so that people will trust you enough to invest in your economy,” she said.

Candidates have until Tuesday to declare their intention to run in the race and submit the necessary paperwork. As was the case in the 2020 leadership race, the entry fee stands at $200,000, in addition to a compliance deposit of $100,000.

The deadline to sign up members is June 3, with the party slated to elect a new leader on Sept. 10.

The former MP is one of a handful of other contenders vying for the top post. Pierre Poilievre, Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis, Patrick Brown, Scott Aitchison, and Roman Barber have also added their names to the hat.

Alleslev was first elected as a federal Liberal MP but crossed the floor to the Conservatives in September 2018. She served as deputy leader under Andrew Scheer but failed to keep her GTA seat in the 2021 election.

The veteran declined to say whether she believed NATO should implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine, only noting that more could be done in the region.

“We as NATO allies, and we, as liberal democracies have a responsibility to do more for Ukraine,” she said, adding that the Liberals must expedite military export permits so to not prevent the shipment of critical equipment to Ukraine.

Watch Alleslev’s interview at the top of this article.