Prime Minister Justin Trudeau downplayed news that the Department of National Defence had been asked to cut spending by $1 billion, highlighting the federal government’s continued increases in military expenditures and spending on NORAD.
“No, because there are no cuts to our military,” the prime minister said on Oct. 5 in response to a reporter’s question on whether he would confirm the reported $1 billion in planned cuts.
Mr. Trudeau said his government has increased military spending in recent years and touted a $38 billion investment to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
“We’re continuing to move forward with significant upgrades and investments in strong, secure, and engaged and in the future of our Canadian Armed Forces,” he said.
But after saying there would be no cuts, he said his government is currently doing what many Canadians are—changing financial habits amid an affordability squeeze.
“We are making sure, as all households are doing across the country, that we’re spending on the right things and we’re cutting away extra expenditures that are unnecessary,” said Mr. Trudeau.
“There’s no way that you can take almost a billion dollars out of the defence budget and not have an impact, so this is something that we’re wrestling with now,” Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre told the House of Commons defence committee.
Minister of Defence Bill Blair also told the committee that Ottawa’s current fiscal environment required taxpayers’ dollars to be spent “carefully and thoughtfully.” The minister added that his top priority for the force was not the purchasing of new equipment, but rather a cultural change that would foster a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
“All the investments in boats and planes and equipment are important, but none of them will help us achieve what we need to achieve if we don’t create the right environment for the men and women who serve in the Forces, and so it has to be our first priority,” he said.
The announced cuts come a few weeks after Canada pledged to meet NATO’s military budget target of 2 percent of gross domestic product from the current 1.3 percent.
During the Oct. 5 press conference, Mr. Trudeau also said Canada had been “stepping up incredibly strongly” to support Ukraine’s war with Russia, having provided the country with over $9 billion in military, humanitarian, and financial support. “As we’ve said many times, we’re there with whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, until Ukraine wins,” the prime minister added.
