Caleb Crann

This is nonsensical and counterproductive. Canada is finally getting serious about investing in national defence. This should be welcomed and encouraged by our allies, not attacked. For the first time since the Cold War, we have achieved the longstanding 2% GDP target, and are credibly moving to the new 3.5% core defence target. The Blame Canada crowd here is claiming that’s all the result of creative accounting. Nonsense. - We have adopted the same framework for scoring defence spending as most of our NATO allies - The federal budget and estimates show real, material budgeted increases to meet the targets - We are spending $55 billion to build 15 cutting edge destroyers, part of the larger naval ship building strategy launched by the Harper government - The RCN is about to launch the procurement of 12 new submarines - The RCAF is finally about to take possession of our first tranche of F35s as part of the new fighter jet fleet - Canada is spending tens of $ billions to modernize and expand Arctic military capacity - The decline in total Canadian Armed Forces personnel has finally turned around, and force size is expanding. Anyone who works in or close to the Canadian defence sector knows that this is real. Exciting things are happening in defence tech innovation, procurement, industry partnerships, etc. Canada’s underinvestment in national defence goes back decades under different governments. It was allowed to get to a shameful state, and for too long we have preened about our moral authority while living rent free under the American security umbrella. It will take time to achieve the ambitious goals of Canada’s defence rebuild. But Prime Minister Carney’s commendable defence reset began just a year ago. The Permanent Joint Board on Defence has been a key platform for cooperation on North American defence since the Second World War. It has operated in good times and bad: during our joint operations in the Korean and Afghan Wars; during much lower levels of Canadian defence spending; and even when a US President threatened to annex Canada. Our two countries have shed blood together in the defence of freedom. Geography dictates that we will always need each other to defend North America. So our alliance must be able to stand above occasional tensions in the bilateral relationship.

Lunch just costs $28 now. Are they not supposed to eat?

A strong Canada that prioritizes hard power over rhetoric benefits us all. Unfortunately, Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments. DoW is pausing the Permanent Joint Board on Defense to reassess how this forum benefits shared North American defense. 1/3

🚨 JUST NOW: One by one, President Xi shakes the hands of Marco Rubio, Scott Bessent, Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller and others Secretary of War Hegseth is STONE COLD! Looking our adversary in the eyes! 🔥🔥🔥