Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

House calls for Canada to meet NATO defence spending target on eve of budget

Share

On the eve of the federal budget, the House of Commons passed a motion calling for the federal government to increase its national defence spending to “at least†meet the NATO target of two per cent gross domestic product (GDP).

The motion was carried 303 to 27, with the Conservatives, Liberals, and Bloc Quebecois all voting in favour of it. The NDP and the Green Party’s two MPs voted against it. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has long called the target “arbitrary.â€

Conservative defence critic Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who sponsored the motion, said the vote outcome is “troubling†given the Liberal, NDP confidence-and-supply agreement.

“How can our NATO allies be confident that Canada will continue to be a trusted security partner when NDP members of Prime Minister Trudeau’s NDP-Liberal government vote against the principle of meeting our NATO spending commitments,†she said in a statement.

While not binding, the motion is symbolic leading up to the release of the Liberal’s budget on Thursday as they face mounting calls to boost military spending.

Several countries have increased their defence spending commitments in accordance with NATO’s 2014 Wales Summit Declaration since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has commended Canada for its contributions to the alliance but has asked all allies to “step up†in light of the Eastern European crisis.

A new NATO report shows that Greece allocated the most in defence spending among NATO members in 2021, contributing 3.59 per cent of its GDP, followed by the U.S. at 3.57 per cent, Poland at 2.34 per cent and the U.K. at 2.25 per cent.

Canada, meanwhile, spent 1.36 per cent of its GDP on defence last year.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer told Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel’s Power Play that for Canada to reach two per cent, it would have to set aside between $20 to $25 billion per year.

“Because GDP is growing, there’s inflation...That means that if you want to meet two per cent of a growing base you have to spend more and we’re far from that two per cent target as it is, so anywhere between $20 to 25 billion more per year, every year, to meet that two per cent target,†he said.

Both Defence Minister Anita Anand and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly have indicated that Canada intends to bring more to the table but haven’t committed to a specific amount.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected