Three new polls suggest a growing number of Canadians want more money spent on defence

Three new public opinion surveys suggest Canadians are growing more concerned about the state of the country's military — and about Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump's threats to abandon allies who don't invest in defence.

The Angus Reid Institute released new data Tuesday showing a larger share of Canadians — 29 per cent — are choosing military preparedness and the country's place on the world stage as their top political priority. Almost a decade ago, that figure was just 12 per cent.

"Slightly more than half (53 per cent) say Canada should increase its spending level to two per cent or beyond," the survey analysis said — a reference to NATO's spending benchmark, which calls on member countries to spend the equivalent of two per cent of their gross domestic product on the military.

Quoting a series of leaked documents several months ago, the Washington Post reported that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau privately told allies Canada would never meet the target.

Even though the Liberal government agreed at last summer's NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania to make the two per cent goal an enduring commitment, Trudeau and his ministers have not committed publicly to doing so. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has said that, if elected, his party would "work towards" the two per cent goal — which was the position taken by the government of former prime minister Stephen Harper.

According to the Angus Reid survey, seven in 10 poll respondents said they would support a Conservative government that would meet or surpass the two per cent spending benchmark.

The new poll shows that Trump's threat to allow Russia "to do whatever the hell it wants" to NATO allies who don't meet the target appears to be resonating with Canadians.

Support for hitting the two per cent goal jumps from 53 per cent to 65 per cent in the Angus Reid survey when the idea of a second Trump presidency is factored in.

And two-thirds of that increase in support for the two per cent target tracked by the Angus Reid survey is coming from young women.

The survey randomly sampled 2,427 Canadians and is considered accurate to plus or minus two per cent, 19 times out of 20.

A separate recent poll, conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights, offers an interesting contrast. People who participated in that survey were asked if Canada should increase defence spending because of Trump's threats — even if it meant fewer dollars for other priorities.

That choice appears to have given some Canadians pause. The Pollara survey polled support for increased defence spending at 34 per cent. A full 43 per cent said Trump's threats shouldn't require an increase in defence spending.

The Pollara survey spoke with 1,552 Canadians and also had a margin of error of plus or minus two per cent.

A third survey, conducted by EKOS Research Associates Inc. on behalf of the Canadian Association of Security and Defence Industries (CASDI), also found increasing support for higher defence spending.