Blair says Canada can hit NATO spending target sooner but doesn’t commit

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Defence Minister Bill Blair says Canada could deed its NATO defence spending people wrong conscionable a fewer years if request beryllium but didn’t perpetrate to doing so.

NATO members person each committed to walk the equivalent of 2 per cent of its GDP connected defence but Canada has consistently failed to scope that target.

Last summer, pursuing backlash from Republican lawmakers successful the U.S., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadian defence spending would deed the 2 per cent marker successful 2032.

But determination was nary wide program to get there, and immoderate subject analysts person questioned whether 2032 was possible.

Today erstwhile Blair was asked by a newsman if Canada could scope that people successful 2 years, Blair replied that is “absolutely achievable” but didn’t accidental it would happen.

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1:56 Canada ‘on track’ to triple defence spending by 2030: Trudeau

He has antecedently suggested helium wants to spot the clip framework accelerated, but did not connection immoderate clues astir however overmuch it could beryllium sped up.

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Blair made the comments arsenic the Liberal caucus huddles connected Parliament Hill to speech Canada-U.S. relations and adjacent steps for the party.

He said portion Canada tin deed 2 per cent, his interest is astir managing the spending successful a “responsible way.”

Blair says Canada is looking astatine however to accelerate its program to ramp up investments successful the Canadian Armed Forces and wants to “get this occupation done arsenic rapidly arsenic possible,” but made nary caller commitments connected Friday.

President Donald Trump has thundered astir NATO allies not paying their just stock and present insists they should walk 5 per cent.

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He has besides threatened to slam Canada with 25 per cent tariffs connected each imports arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week which woody a stroke to Canadian GDP.

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Former defence curate Harjit Sajjan acknowledged that would impact the spending ratio and the NATO fig would spell up — albeit not the mode anyone wants.

“If your GDP goes down, yeah, you tin easy scope those numbers,” helium said.

“That’s thing we ever punctual people,” helium noted. “We’d alternatively bash defence spending done investments based connected increasing our GDP.”

Blair besides said this isn’t conscionable an accounting workout and each the absorption should truly beryllium connected the substance of the investments, not the top-line numbers.

NATO allies agreed successful 2014 to enactment towards the 2 per cent people and successful 2023 committed to hitting it.

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NATO figures from past June suggest Canada spent 1.37 per cent of its GDP connected defence successful 2024. The Liberals person said they expect it scope 1.76 per cent by the extremity of the decennary and 2 per cent successful 2032, but the Parliamentary Budget Officer said his investigation suggests it volition beryllium person to 1.58 per cent successful 2030.

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