Canada is near the bottom of NATO when it comes to defence spending.
Canada is near the bottom of NATO when it comes to defence spending, says Peter MacKay, a former defence minister.
The photo was taken byDarren Calabrese.
/The Canadian Press.
The current government's response to the war in Ukraine was called out by the former defence minister.
Canada is near the bottom of the NATO countries when it comes to defence spending, according to an interview with the Financial Post.
Canada spends about 1% of its GDP on defence. Trudeau's pledges in the budget would increase the figure to 1.5 per cent.
NATO Defence Ministers agreed in 2006 to commit at least two per cent of their GDP to defence spending to make sure the alliance was ready to respond in the face of a threat.
The purpose of the spending target is to establish the credibility of NATO. It has become a litmus test for how committed a country is to the alliance. Canada has been a leader for a long time, including when MacKay oversaw the military between 2007 and 2013, drawing the ire of Donald Trump and other American politicians.
One of the reasons Canada falls short is because of purchases made today, which will see the money dispersed in the future.
When you seetracted procurements, you can't buy off the shelf. Fighter aircraft is an example of how difficult it is to say we are spending two per cent of GDP.
It is the quintessential threat to global security, what's happening inside Ukraine today
Former defence minister Peter MacKay
$500 million of Trudeau's $8 billion in defence spending is military aid for Ukraine, as well as $1 billion in loans for the country. MacKay said it wasn't enough.
Canada's response has been "lukewarm" compared to other countries, according to MacKay, who is now counsel at McInnes Cooper. He said Canada has not stepped up to a large degree in providing lethal weapons.
McKay said that Canada could be at risk because of Russia's close geographical proximity in the North. He called the NATO countries surrounding Ukraine the "proverbial Maginot Line" which could lead to a third global war.
The invasion shocked many, but Ukraine has been under pressure from Russia for a long time, so it tried to join NATO in 2008.
Despite MacKay's criticism of Trudeau's efforts in helping Ukraine, they are all in agreement on the threat posed by Putin.
The quintessential threat to global security is what's happening in Ukraine today.
Email: mcoulton@postmedia.com
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