Question Period Note: NATO spending

• Canada’s commitment to NATO is unwavering.
• As demonstrated at the NATO Leaders’ Summit, Canada is stepping up its support for NATO and for the collective security of the Alliance.
• Canada will expand its contribution to the NATO Readiness Initiative, through an additional frigate and 6 fighter aircraft.
• National Defence is also internally reallocating $41 million to the NATO Military Budget.
• These efforts will support enhanced readiness and responsiveness within the Alliance.
• We will keep working with NATO Allies to enhance our collective security and promote peace and stability in the world.

• During the NATO Wales Summit in 2014, member nations established the objective to increase their defence spending to reach at least 2% of their GDP.
• Starting in 2015, Canada aligned its accounting of defence spending with criteria established by NATO. This resulted in the inclusion of new spending categories related to veterans, personnel and program support, which were not previously accounted for.
• National Defence contributes to Canada’s share of NATO’s Military Budget, which is funded by all NATO members.
• The NATO Military Budget funds the operating and maintenance costs of the NATO military structure and activities, including deployed operations.
• In 2017, through Strong, Secure, Engaged, National Defence committed to increase its defence spending by 70% over ten years.
• Canada’s defence spending for 2018-19 was 1.31% of GDP, ranking 20th out of 29 Allies. National Defence forecasts that total defence spending as a percentage of GDP will increase to 1.48% by 2024-25. Canada’s progress towards meeting spending goals does not yet include future expenditures to modernize NORAD.
• Canada actively contributes to several NATO missions:
o Commanding the NATO battlegroup in Latvia;
o Commanding the NATO training mission in Iraq;
o Commanding the NATO maritime task force in the Mediterranean; and
o Contributing to the NATO-led peace-support operation in Kosovo.
• NATO Leaders Summit:
o On the margins of the Summit, President Trump asked Prime Minister Trudeau whether Canada would ever reach 2% of GDP for military spending. Prime Minister Trudeau responded that Canada has increased defence spending by 70% which represents 1.48% of GDP. So far, Canada has increased defence spending to 1.31% of GDP.
o At the same time, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, stated he is “extremely grateful for Canada’s many contributions to the Alliance, and by standing together, we are all safer.”
o Stoltenberg added, “in an unpredictable world, we need strong multilateral institutions like NATO, and Canada is helping us to strengthen NATO."

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