Defence minister says cost of Trump's proposed missile defence project still unknown

Canada does not know what it would cost to join U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" missile defence program, Defence Minister David McGuinty said Wednesday.

"I'm not in a position to evaluate the numbers. We're going to bring a budget out in the fall, and when we bring a budget out we'll have a lot more to say about what we're going to do," McGuinty said on his way into the weekly Liberal caucus meeting.

On Tuesday, in a social media post, Trump said it would cost Canada $61 billion to join as a sovereign country but nothing at all if it became a U.S. state.

Trump claimed that Canada is "considering the offer."

When asked about Trump's comments, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he won't negotiate in public. He has previously said that Canada is considering whether to join the project.

Reacting to Trump's missile defence pitch, Canada's Ambassador to the UN Bob Rae said in a social media post that "in another context this would be called a 'protection racket.'"

Mike Pompeo, who was U.S. secretary of state during the first Trump administration, said that's not the case and it's "imperative" that Canada and the U.S. work together on missile defence.

"To get this right for the American people will require deep connectivity with Canada, its defence establishment and the technology that both nations can provide," Pompeo said during a Wednesday press event at the CANSEC defence industry conference in Ottawa.

Pompeo said he doesn't know where the $61 billion figure floated by Trump came from but noted the "Golden Dome" will be a very expensive project.

Even with Trump again talking about making Canada a U.S. state, Pompeo said Canada "ought to trust" the U.S. the way the U.S. should trust Canada.

Several Liberal MPs said again that statehood is not on the table as they entered their weekly caucus meeting on Parliament Hill.

Earlier this month, Trump announced plans for a complex missile defence system modelled after Israel's "Iron Dome" and claimed it would cost US$175 billion.

The Congressional Budget Office says that the space-based components alone could cost more than half a trillion dollars over the next 20 years.

Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny with the Royal Canadian Air Force said that Canada is in "exploratory discussions" with the U.S. about what participation in the Golden Dome might look like. 

"I have not been told that (dollar) figure. I did see the tweet. At this stage, I say it would be early exploratory discussions about what our participation may be, but it doesn't take away from our focus," Kenny said at the CANSEC conference.

He added that Canada's focus is on ensuring that any integrated missile defence system is "suitable" for this country and takes national sovereignty into consideration.

In 2022, Canada announced a $38.6 billion plan to contribute to Norad's modernization over the next 20 years.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang