Trudeau expected to face tough questions on Canadian military spending at NATO summit
Trudeau expected to face tough questions on Canadian military spending at NATO summit
Trudeau expected to face tough questions on Canadian military spending at NATO summit
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to face tough questions at a major NATO summit this week as a new report released by the alliance ahead of the meeting shows Canada heading in the wrong direction when it comes to military spending.
Members of the 30-member military alliance agreed in 2014 to increase their defence spending to two per cent of their national gross domestic product, and the target is expected to be front and centre when the summit begins on Wednesday.
Trudeau met with NATO leaders Tuesday evening at a dinner hosted at the royal palace in Madrid by King Felipe VI, and will begin formal talks in the morning.
The new report released by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg estimates Canadian defence spending will instead decline as a share of GDP to 1.27 per cent this year, down from 1.32 per cent last year and 1.42 per cent in 2020.
The report did not specify the reason for the expected decline, or whether it includes $8 billion in new military spending that was promised in April's federal budget and whose purpose has not been clearly defined.
Asked about the report during a news conference at the end of this year's G7 meeting in Germany, as he prepared to head to Madrid for the NATO leaders' summit, Trudeau said the government has announced several "significant" new investments.
Those include $4.9 billion to upgrade Norad, the shared U.S.-Canadian system used to detect incoming airborne and maritime threats to North America, as well as plans to buy new fighter jets to replace Canada's aging CF-18s.
The prime minister also said Canada has repeatedly proven its commitment to the NATO alliance by deploying troops and equipment on a variety of missions, including by leading a multinational NATO force in Latvia.
"Canada is always part of NATO missions and continues to step up significantly," Trudeau said.
"We know how important it is to step up and we will continue to do so to make sure that the world knows that it can count on Canada to be part of advancing the cause of democracy, the rule of law and opportunities for everyone," he added.
Successive Canadian governments have shown little appetite for meeting the two per cent spending target, which the parliamentary budget officer has estimated would require an extra $75 billion over the next five years.
They have instead emphasized Canada's numerous other commitments to the alliance, including the provision of 700 Canadian troops to Latvia along with several naval warships to assist with NATO patrols in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean.
That is despite Canada having agreed to the target, as well as repeated exhortations from Stoltenberg and criticism from American officials in Washington calling on Ottawa to invest more in its military and collective defence.
The continuing decline in Canadian defence spending as a share of GDP will almost certainly lead to even more pointed questions for Trudeau in Madrid than was already expected, said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
This is particularly true given confusion surrounding the government's announcement last week that it plans to invest in Norad modernization, with uncertainty around where the money is actually coming from, when it will be spent and on what.
"I would assume that they were hoping to send a message with the continental defence piece that irrespective of what's happening in Europe, Canada's got other defence commitments and that contributes to overall alliance security," Perry said.
"But the mechanics of how the continental defence piece rolled out would take away from some of that."
That defence spending is on a downward track when Canada is facing pressure to contribute more overseas and struggling with significant military personnel and equipment shortfalls is also a concern, said Robert Baines of the NATO Association of Canada.
"I've always been amazed that Prime Minister Trudeau has facility for dancing over the very serious situation Canada is facing when it comes to defence," Baines said. "Trying to do so much, and then having so many resource issues and challenges."
To that end, Trudeau sidestepped a question over whether Canada is prepared to send more troops to Latvia, as NATO seeks to double the size of its forces throughout eastern Europe in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Latvia's ambassador to Canada told The Canadian Press earlier this week that Canada is talking with allies about reinforcing the Canadian-led battlegroup in his country.
The battlegroup in Latvia is one of four established by NATO in 2017, with Germany leading another such unit in Lithuania and Britain and the United States responsible for forces in Estonia and Poland, respectively.
Germany and Britain have both said in recent weeks that they are ready to lead larger combat units in Lithuania and Estonia, but Canada has so far remained silent about its plans in Latvia.
Trudeau also wouldn't say whether Canada is prepared to put more of the military on high readiness, as Stoltenberg announced on Monday that the alliance plans to increase the number of troops on standby from 40,000 to 300,000.
"We have been working closely with NATO partners, with the secretary-general of NATO, and especially with the Latvians, where Canada leads the (battlegroup) and is committed to making sure we continue to stand up against Russian," Trudeau said.
"We, like others, are developing plans to be able to scale up rapidly," he added. "And those are conversations that I very much look forward to having over the next couple of days in NATO."
Baines predicted whatever additional troops and equipment are added to the Canadian-led battlegroup in Latvia will predominantly come from other NATO members as Canada only recently deployed more troops to the region.
The government announced in February that it was sending an artillery unit and 100 additional soldiers to bolster the 600 Canadian troops already in the Baltic state. It also recently deployed two additional warships to the region.
Perry said it remains unclear how much more the Canadian military, which is short about 10,000 service members, has to spare.
"Maybe there's an ability to find some more at the back of the cupboard," he said.
"But if the alliance is going to collectively be stepping up with some additional … troop and equipment commitments, then I'm sure there'd be lots of pressure on us to be part of that as well."
-- With files from Lee Berthiaume in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2022.
Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair and RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki took turns Monday denying pressuring the RCMP, or interfering in the police investigation into the Nova Scotia mass shooting, saying that their approaches were appropriate and warranted, given the unprecedented nature of the situation.
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's inflation rate is set to remain 'painfully high' for the rest of the year. In an exclusive interview with CTV News, Macklem says the path to a 'soft' economic landing is 'narrowing' but at this point the central bank is not projecting a recession.
Five months ago, the first 'Freedom Convoy' trucks rolled into Ottawa. After the federal government took the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergencies Act to end the protests, a series of inquiries and probes have been initiated. With the nation's capital bracing for more protests over the Canada Day weekend, CTVNews.ca takes a look at where the main commissions and studies stand.
Now that the House and Senate have adjourned for the summer, CTVNews.ca breaks down what key pieces of legislation passed in the final days of the spring session, and what key government bills will be left to deal with in the fall.
The Conservative Party leadership race is well underway as contenders hold rallies, duke it out in debates, and slowly release more details of their policy platforms. Here's a snapshot of where the five candidates stand on the economy, housing, climate, defence and social issues.
'After a weeks-long survey of just about everyone I've met ... the overall judgment on Justin Trudeau is one of being a political write-off,' writes Don Martin in an opinion column for CTVNews.ca. 'He’s too woke, too precious, preachy in tone, exceedingly smug, lacking in leadership, fading in celebrity, slow to act, short-sighted in vision and generally getting more irritating with every breathlessly whispered public pronouncement,' Martin writes.
It's time for the whiners to win and the government to reopen the skies, a return to those glory times of flying when the biggest complaints were expensive parking, a middle seat and stale pretzels, commentator Don Martin writes in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
In an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin says Doug Ford coasted to majority re-election victory in Ontario by sticking to the middle of the road: 'Not too progressive. Not too conservative.'
There's a lesson for Canada's political leaders in the short life and quick death of Jason Kenney as premier of Alberta, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
It's becoming a make-or-break week for two Conservative premiers as their futures pivot on a pair of defining moments, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
The rapid growth of a long-burning forest fire in central Newfoundland has triggered a state of emergency in the area and the expansion of an outdoor fire ban to the entire province.
Air Canada denied a customer complaint and instructed employees to classify flight cancellations caused by staff shortages as a "safety" problem, which would exclude travellers from compensation under federal regulations. That policy remains in place.
Five people, including a suspect, were taken to hospital with serious injuries after a violent incident that drew a massive police presence to downtown Vancouver's main entertainment district Saturday night.
A Dutch man accused of tormenting British Columbia teen Amanda Todd via online threats has been found guilty of all charges he faced in connection with the case, a jury ruled on Saturday.
While the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, one of the brightest of the year, may be next week, now may be the best time to see the astronomical event, according to The Weather Network.
An evacuation order remains in effect in Olalla, a community just north of Keremeos, B.C., as a wildfire classified as 'out of control' continues to grow, impacting nearby residents.
Ottawa is reimbursing a record number of veterans for medical marijuana, with new figures showing the federal government shelled out more than $150 million in the last fiscal year -- more than double the amount just three years ago.
Anne Heche remains hospitalized and in intensive care after a car she was driving crashed into a residence in Los Angeles on Friday and became engulfed in flames.
The rapid growth of a long-burning forest fire in central Newfoundland has triggered a state of emergency in the area and the expansion of an outdoor fire ban to the entire province.
An evacuation order remains in effect in Olalla, a community just north of Keremeos, B.C., as a wildfire classified as 'out of control' continues to grow, impacting nearby residents.
A Dutch man accused of tormenting British Columbia teen Amanda Todd via online threats has been found guilty of all charges he faced in connection with the case, a jury ruled on Saturday.
Ontario's legislature is set to resume this week for the first time since the re-election of Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives, with politicians returning amid a health-care staffing crisis and skyrocketing inflation.
Environment Canada has issued a heat warning spanning four provinces as a two-day heat event gears up across much of the central and eastern parts of the country.
Senegal is accusing Canadian police of 'savagely beating' one of its diplomats earlier this week. The Gatineau police service says instead that it faced 'an aggressive person' who allegedly injured two police officers.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his three-nation tour of Africa Sunday by visiting a museum in South Africa commemorating how the country's Black youths helped to end white racist rule. Blinken’s visit to Africa is seen as part of a competition between Russia and Western powers for support from African countries over the war in Ukraine.
Cuban firefighters were joined by special teams sent by Mexico and Venezuela on Sunday as they battled for a second day to control a fire blazing at a big oil tank farm in the western province of Matanzas.
China said Sunday it carried out its fourth consecutive day of military drills in the air and sea around Taiwan in the wake of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island, despite international calls to calm the tensions.
The scheduled arrival Sunday of the first grain ship to leave Ukraine and cross the Black Sea under a wartime deal has been delayed, a Lebanese Cabinet minister and the Ukraine Embassy said.
At least nine people were wounded -- none critically -- in a shooting outside a Cincinnati bar early Sunday, police said. The shooting took place shortly after 1:30 a.m. outside Mr. Pitiful's bar in the Ohio city's Over-the-Rhine district, a popular nightlife area.
A London museum agreed Sunday to return a collection of Benin Bronzes looted in the late 19th century from what is now Nigeria as cultural institutions throughout Britain come under pressure to repatriate artifacts acquired during the colonial era.
Democrats drove their election-year economic package toward Senate approval early Sunday, debating a measure with less ambition than U.S. President Joe Biden's original domestic vision. Still, it touches deep-rooted party dreams of slowing global warming, moderating pharmaceutical costs and taxing immense corporations.
In a contest largely seen as a battle for the Conservative Party of Canada's soul, which has put decades-old fissures on display between groups that make up its very coalition, what might it take to achieve unity after results are revealed Sept. 10?
Ottawa is reimbursing a record number of veterans for medical marijuana, with new figures showing the federal government shelled out more than $150 million in the last fiscal year -- more than double the amount just three years ago.
A new study has found children who suffer from headache disorders have been experiencing more frequent pain and worse anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Montfort Hospital ER will be closed between 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m., forcing residents in the east end needing emergency care to travel eight kilometres to the Ottawa Hospital General Campus.
The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking the publicly reported cases of monkeypox across the country, updating the number of confirmed infections in each province and territory on a weekly basis.
While the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, one of the brightest of the year, may be next week, now may be the best time to see the astronomical event, according to The Weather Network.
A French scientist has apologized after tweeting a photo of a slice of chorizo, claiming it was an image of a distant star taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
A trunk with its lid left open. A wooden dishware closet, its shelves caved in. Three-legged accent tables topped by decorative bowls. These latest discoveries by archaeologists are enriching knowledge about middle-class lives in Pompeii before Mount Vesuvius' furious eruption buried the ancient Roman city in volcanic debris.
Nobody can fill the shoes of Hollywood star Tom Hanks, of that actress Kelly McCormack is certain. Yet on the new TV series "A League of Their Own," the Vancouver native was assigned a task nearly as stressful as emulating Hanks: saying one of his most iconic catchphrases.
Anne Heche remains hospitalized and in intensive care after a car she was driving crashed into a residence in Los Angeles on Friday and became engulfed in flames.
U.S. demand for grocery delivery is cooling as prices for food and other necessities rise. Some are shifting to pickup -- a less expensive alternative where shoppers pull up curbside or go into the store to collect their already-bagged groceries -- while others say they're comfortable doing the shopping themselves.
China's exports grew 18 per cent to US$333 billion compared to the same period last year, and were up from 17.9 per cent in June, according to data from China's customs.
Benefits rolled out at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed vulnerable Canadians to stay healthy while maintaining an income, but business supports were excessive and show the outsized influence of business groups on public policy, economists say.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined Amsterdam's historic canals Saturday to celebrate Canal Parade, a Pride flotilla of 80 brightly decorated boats packed with people partying, singing and waving rainbow flags, balloons and umbrellas.
Justina Di Stasio and Nishan Randhawa both won gold medals to lead a Canadian wrestling medal haul Saturday at the Commonwealth Games. Canada also struck gold at the track where Camryn Rogers of Richmond, B.C., won women's hammer throw.
Youth will be served at the upcoming National Bank Open after a couple of late withdrawals shook up the draw at the ATP Tour's Masters 1000 tournament. The so-called Big Three of Roger Federer (knee), Novak Djokovic (unvaccinated), Rafael Nadal (abdominal) won't be on hand this year.
Two crashes involving Teslas apparently running on Autopilot are drawing scrutiny from federal regulators and point to a potential new hazard on U.S. freeways: The partially automated vehicles may not stop for motorcycles.
