Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced Canada’s commitment to significantly increase defence spending, aiming to meet NATO’s 2% of GDP target within the current fiscal year, five years earlier than previously anticipated. Speaking at the University of Toronto, Carney highlighted the urgency of this move in a “dangerous and divided world” and emphasized the need for Canada to lessen its reliance on the United States for defence capabilities. This marks a significant departure from Canada’s historical defence spending patterns.
A key aspect of this new defence policy is a multi-billion dollar investment aimed at boosting Canadian defence manufacturing. This initiative seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains and production, addressing concerns about Canada’s aging military fleet, including its largely unseaworthy submarines and other non-operational vehicles. Carney also acknowledged the impact of US protectionist tariffs and threats to Canadian sovereignty on the future of the US-Canada defence relationship.
These impactful announcements are strategically timed, occurring just before Canada hosts the G7 summit and as NATO prepares for its own summit, where defence spending will be a crucial topic. Carney’s commitment to “made-in-Canada manufacturing” and a reduced reliance on US defence capital spending signals a new era of self-sufficiency and a more assertive stance for Canada on the global security stage.