What is NATO’s new 5% defence spending pledge, and how will Canada meet it?
Global News
Here's what to know about the new spending target, its two categories of 'core defence' and broader defence-related infrastructure, and how Canada plans to achieve each.
Canada joined its NATO allies on Wednesday in agreeing to a new defence spending target of five per cent of GDP — but the details are more complicated.
Members of the alliance will have until 2035 to reach the new spending goal, for one thing. And the five per cent is being split into two categories: “core defence requirements” and broader defence-related infrastructure and industry.
Speaking to reporters at The Hague at the NATO summit, Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed confidence that Canada will achieve its new objectives after lagging behind the alliance’s spending goals for years.
“We’ve arrived at this summit looking forward with a plan to help lead with new investments to build our strength,” he said.
“The investments we’re making in defence and security, broader security, given the new threats that Canada faces — we’re not at a trade-off, we’re not at sacrifices in order to do those. These will be net-additive.”
Carney did note that towards the end of the decade, Canadians would likely need to have conversations around “trade-offs” for continued high defence spending.
David Perry, president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute who attended the summit in Brussels, said the defence spending increase Canada will have to undertake is the largest since the “massive” ramp-up during the Second World War.
“This is a complete game changer for Canada’s defence,” he told Global News.
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