Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative Shadow Minister for National Defence, and Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative Shadow Minister for Public Services and Procurement, issued the following statement on today’s Conservative opposition day motion:

“It is time for Canada to contribute its fair share to the NATO Alliance. As a founding member of NATO, the peace and security that Canadians have enjoyed for the past 73 years have been backed by the collective security promise that any attack on one NATO country is an attack on all.

“But, out of 30 NATO counties, Canada ranks 25th in terms of its military spending. The latest annual report released by NATO shows Canada spent just 1.36 per cent of its gross domestic product on the military in 2021, far short of the 2 per cent of GDP that NATO leaders agreed to.

“That is why Conservatives are calling on the NDP-Liberal government to increase spending on national defence to at least two per cent of Canada’s GDP, in accordance with NATO’s 2014 Wales Summit Declaration.

“With the escalating war in Ukraine and threats to our national security around the world, Conservatives want to see a budget that ensures Canada re-establishes its position as a trusted global security partner and a reliable member of NATO.

“The NDP-Liberal government has an opportunity to show Canadians they are serious about our NATO commitment by supporting our Conservative motion, and by making a commitment in their upcoming budget to provide the women and men in the Canadian Armed Forces with the resources they need.”