Mark Carney vows to boost Canadian defence spending by £16BILLION to defend against Donald Trump and US ‘threat to sovereignty’
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to increase military spending by an eye-watering $30.9billion CAD (£16.83billion) over the next four years to protect against what he describes as “America’s threats to our very sovereignty”.
The Liberal Party leader made the announcement as part of his election manifesto ahead of the 28 April vote.
Carney said Canada must “prepare” in light of President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to annex the country and absorb it as the US’s 51st state.
The defence spending boost comes amid growing tensions between the two North American neighbours.
Mark Carney has vowed to boost defence spending by £16BILLION
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Trump has hit Canada with punitive tariffs and has frequently spoken about wanting to annex the country.
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At the heart of Carney’s defence spending plan are three key components.
The first focuses on strengthening personnel by recruiting new members, increasing military pay, and building housing on bases.
The second funds new equipment, including self-propelled artillery, air defence systems, and early-warning radar developed with Australia.
The third invests in cutting-edge technologies like quantum computing and AI to support military innovation.
Half of the total spending is earmarked for major hardware such as submarines, icebreakers, and drones to bolster Arctic defence against potential Russian and Chinese threats.
Carney’s plan would see Canada exceed Nato’s target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence by 2030, two years ahead of its current pledge and would mark a significant increase from the country’s 2024 defence spending of 1.37 per cent of GDP.
Mark Carney on the campaign trail
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The Liberal leader also vowed to invest in transatlantic security with “like-minded” European allies.
“The north faces existential threats as countries try to take advantage of new shipping routes opened by climate change, exploit our critical minerals, and encroach on our borders,” the manifesto states.
Carney’s plan to increase overall spending by $130billion dollars was criticised by opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, who called it “shocking”.
“Amazingly, Mr Carney plans to run even bigger inflationary deficits than Justin Trudeau had already budgeted,” Poilievre told the National Post.
The Conservative leader has also promised to increase defence spending if elected, including plans to upgrade Norad and establish a permanent Arctic military base in Iqaluit.
However, Poilievre has not yet released detailed spending figures in his manifesto.
Pierre Poilievre tore into Carney’s plans
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Beyond defence, Carney outlined an economic strategy to counter US tariffs by breaking down trade barriers between Canadian provinces.
“America’s unjustified and reckless trade war threatens Canadian jobs, businesses, and our way of life,” he said.
The Liberals plan to establish new business links with Europe, Asia, MERCOSUR and ASEAN.
Despite increased defence spending, Carney promised to reduce expenditure in the federal public service and consultant use.
He pledged to balance the operating budget by 2028 while protecting services such as healthcare, pensions, and employment insurance.
