Canada on ‘clear path’ to reach NATO’s 2% target, Trudeau says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada has made sure that its investments in targeted NATO spending 'are as concrete as possible,' but added that more needs to be done.

Canada is on a “clear path” to hit NATO’s defence spending target over the coming years, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, as pressure ramps up on Ottawa in the wake of the U.S. election.

Addressing the annual NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Montreal on Monday, Trudeau said Canada has so far made sure that its investments in targeted NATO spending “are as concrete as possible,” but added that more needs to be done.

“We are on a clear path to reach two per cent in the coming years because we know that the world is changing and Canada, along with our allies, needs to be ready for it,” Trudeau said.

Canada is one of just eight NATO members not meeting the alliance’s benchmark of spending at least two per cent of GDP on defence, but has pledged to get there by 2032.

Trudeau said Canada added $175 billion in targeted spending. Canada’s updated defence policy forecasts spending will rise from 1.37 per cent of GDP currently to 1.76 per cent by 2030.

The parliamentary budget officer, however, has said Canada’s plan to hit NATO’s defence spending target remains unclear and the current forecast for increasing military spending is based on “erroneous” economic projections.

“One of the challenges we’ve always had with the two per cent is that doesn’t really matter what you spend it on, what matters is that you just reach that limit and Canada has never felt that way,” Trudeau said.

“We’ve made sure that our investments are as concrete as possible, and contributing to the capacity of Canadians to continue to be involved in leading in so many different NATO aspects.”