A report by the Business Council of Canada notes Canada’s rivals are investing heavily, while Ottawa has failed to spend on military capabilities. On the day that Vladimir Putin said NATO members are now directly involved in the war in Ukraine because they have supplied missiles being used to bomb Russia, Justin Trudeau was announcing a yuletide $6.3-billion GST holiday on Christmas trees, beer and popcorn.
Canada, remember, is the country that can’t afford to hit its NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP for another eight years. The chief of the defence staff, Jennie Carignan, has warned Canadians they may have as little as five years to prepare for emerging threats from Russia and China.
Putin’s rhetoric, which threatened use of hypersonic missiles against NATO facilities, suggests five years might be an optimistic take. The heightened tensions show how disconnected all Canadian parties are in Parliament from the fateful events taking place in Europe and Asia.
For the rest of this column: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/ivison-another-wake-up-call-war-canada-slumbers