'Important for Canada to react': Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland defends increased defence spending

The war in Ukraine and Canada's responsibility toward its NATO allies were cited by the Finance Minister as reasons for the steep increase in defence spending.

At an event in Montreal on April 11, Freeland described Putin as the greatest threat to the world.

Defence is one of the bigger items in the budget and Freeland set aside $8 billion over five years. Canada's military spending is set to double between 2016 and 2026, thanks to a new $6-billion contribution to the Canadian armed forces last week. That's a big change from a few years ago, when Prime Minister Trudeau's government appeared to have little interest in reversing the trend of lagging defences spending.

Recent events require the government to reexamine Canada's role, priorities, and needs in the face of a changing world.

Freeland set aside $6.1 billion for the Department of National Defence, and about $872 million to confront growing cybersecurity risks, and about $100 million to change the military justice system.

The increase lifted Canada's security budget to 1.5 per cent of GDP, short of the NATO target of two per cent. Freeland indicated that more money could be coming, but not before the government takes time to think through the defence apparatus that is needed in a world in which autocratic countries such as China and Russia appear set to remake the world order. Freeland said that she has instructed Anand to quickly prepare a practical strategy to defend Canada.

It is important for me to put money in the budget for defence, Freeland said. When we have started to discuss a responsible fiscal approach, it is wise to put money in the budget only when we have a plan to spend it. We need to create that right now.

The risk of a direct conflict between Russia and Canada is very low according to Canada's chief of the defence staff. Canada's involvement in the war has been called "absurd" by the Russian embassy.

The Ukrainian soldiers are ready to die for this war, which is really a war for the entire democratic world, Freeland said.

Email: mcoulton@postmedia.com