OTTAWA — The federal government is pushing back against criticism that Canada is becoming a laggard on military spending within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with Treasury Board President Anita Anand stating Tuesday that it is “superficial” to focus on the alliance’s spending target without broader context.
The comments came after NATO published new estimates for how much its 32 member countries are spending on defence. The list placed Canada near the bottom — fifth last — in defence spending in proportion to the size of its economy, with an estimated share of 1.37 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) for 2024.
