OTTAWA — Defence Minister Bill Blair said Monday that he's ready to work with the incoming Donald Trump administration to speed up Canada's timeline to meet its NATO alliance spending targets.
OTTAWA — Defence Minister Bill Blair said Monday that he's ready to work with the incoming Donald Trump administration to speed up Canada's timeline to meet its NATO alliance spending targets.
"They want us to go faster, and I'm ready to go faster," he said, when speaking about dealing with the next administration. The comments come as the Liberal government is facing stepped-up criticism from U.S. politicians and others for falling far behind what other alliance members spend. Goldy Hyder, head of the Business Council of Canada, said the 2032 target leaves Canada exposed heading into trade talks with the next administration.
Speaking at the 70th annual session of the NATO parliamentary assembly in Montreal on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended the Liberal record on defence spending, saying the government stepped up"big time" after it came to power in November 2015. Canada consistently ranks at the back of the pack among NATO allies when it comes to how much it shells out on its military as a share of its GDP.
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