Canada’s military spending only satisfies Trump’s priorities
By Lethbridge Herald on November 5, 2025.
Editor,
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that Canada will increase its military budget to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035, and the upcoming federal budget is expected to set the groundwork for Canada to meet this commitment (‘Defence Minister…confident budget will pass,’ Oct. 31, 2025)
Currently, Canada’s military budget represents 1.37 per cent of GDP. With an increase to 5 per cent of GDP, Canada will be spending at least $150 billion annually. This means that in the next 10 years, the prime minister has committed Canada to almost quadruple its military spending (measured as a percentage of GDP).
Mr. Carney admits that there will be “trade-off.” His recent directives to ministers already provide an idea what these “trade-offs” will mean.
Ministers have been asked to find $25 billion in savings over the next three years. This will require not only a reduction in staff and operating budgets, but also a significant reduction in federal transfers to the provinces, municipalities, non-profits, and business.
A recent study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that there will most likely be cuts to health care, housing, Iinfrastructure, emergency preparedness, industry, Vveterans, First Nations, newcomer support, research and science, international aid, and refugees.
The typical explanation by government officials for this dramatic increase in military expenditure is that Russia represents a serious security threat to our sovereignty and that of other NATO members. This explanation hardly makes sense: Russia’s military budget is currently estimated to be 10 per cent of that of NATO. Clearly, NATO countries don’t need to increase their defence budget to deter Russia.
In fact, the only country that has recently threatened Canada’s sovereignty is the U.S., since President Trump has consistently declared that our country should become the 51st State.
Given the high dependence of the Canadian Armed Forces on the U.S. forces, the largest proportion of the new armaments that Canada will buy to reach the 5 per cent of GDP will come from the U.S. military industrial complex.
It thus seems that the Liberal government’s budget satisfies Trump’s priorities rather than those of most Canadians.
Anne Morris
Lethbridge
13-12
NATO tells Canada to develop a meaningful military. That’s where it comes from. Trump reiterates what NATO suggested because Canada is dependent on the US to defend it. Canadian army probably couldn’t fight its way out of a wet paper bag. The males do have access to female hygiene products , for what that’s worth. Nothing good actually.