National

NATO estimate of Canadian defence spending dips

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 31 Mar, 2022 12:00 PM

OTTAWA - New NATO figures suggest Canada is even farther from meeting the military alliance's spending target than previously believed.

NATO estimated last June that Canada would spend about 1.39 per cent of its national GDP on defence in 2021.

But in a report released today the alliance has lowered that figure, estimating Canada spent only about 1.36 per cent of GDP on its military last year.

While the difference appears miniscule, it nonetheless moves Canada farther from the two per cent spending target that all NATO members agreed to in 2014 and reaffirmed during a special meeting last week.

Defence Minister Anita Anand says this morning that the government has committed to increase defence spending, noting a federal budget will be presented next week.

The Royal Canadian Air Force is currently in action alongside its NATO allies during Ex FRISIAN FLAG 🇳🇱 in the Netherlands where they train together at command, crew, maintainer and support team levels. pic.twitter.com/5KfRNCtmJn
— Royal Canadian Air Force (@RCAF_ARC) March 31, 2022

It also comes as most allies are moving in the other direction, with only four of the 29 other NATO members set to spend less of their GDP on defence than Canada.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

WHO chief says it was 'premature' to rule out COVID lab leak

In a rare departure from his usual deference to powerful member countries, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said getting access to raw data had been a challenge for the international team that traveled to China earlier this year to investigate the source of COVID-19. The first human cases were identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

WHO chief says it was 'premature' to rule out COVID lab leak

B.C. fire 'wake-up call' to take precautions: TSB

A wildfire in Lytton, B.C., during historically high temperatures points to a serious need to prevent similar occurrences, says the chairwoman of the Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the possibility that a freight train could have been linked to the disaster.

B.C. fire 'wake-up call' to take precautions: TSB

Macklem: BoC will respond if inflation too hot

Tiff Macklem says the central bank largely expects higher prices right now are temporary and the inflation rate will fall back to the bank's two-per-cent target as the economy opens further.

Macklem: BoC will respond if inflation too hot

Wildfires prompt evacuation orders, alerts in B.C.

Evacuation orders affecting more than 1,400 properties are posted for 10 of the 26 fires currently listed by the B.C. Wildfire service as potentially threatening or highly visible.

Wildfires prompt evacuation orders, alerts in B.C.

NDP leader waves off one-time wealth tax

In a report today, parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux estimates that a one-time tax of three per cent and five per cent on Canadians with net wealth over $10 million and $20 million respectively would yield between $44 billion and $61 billion.

NDP leader waves off one-time wealth tax

Midwestern states urge Canada, U.S. to open border

A well-known American advocate of stronger Canada-U.S. ties helped state lawmakers from across the Midwest formally vent their bilateral frustrations Wednesday with an official request that the two countries "immediately" open their shared border to fully vaccinated travellers.