Manitoba’s premier is urging the federal government to shave several years off its target timeline to increase defence spending to match two per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product.
Wab Kinew said doing so is key to protecting a critical trade relationship.
“The important focus for me is to encourage the federal government to hit that two per cent NATO spending target because, if we don’t hit it, it’s going to become an issue with our trade conversation with the States,” he said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew at an announcement for health-care funding in Manitoba in April. Kinew is urging the federal government to accelerate an increase in Canada’s defence spending. (The Canadian Press)
“So, I think I’d encourage Manitobans and Canadians to think about it as an investment in the Canadian Armed Forces, in keeping the true north strong and free, but also as an investment in our trade relationship. It’s about jobs, and it’s about economic opportunity for our province.”
Canada has been criticized for years, often by the United States, for not meeting the NATO spending target. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week his government now expects to meet it by 2032.
Kinew noted the matter was a key topic of discussion during an interview after the Council of the Federation summer meetings of Canada’s premiers in Halifax, He stressed Manitoba is a trading province with a lot of exports heading to the U.S.
“The next administration in the U.S. is likely going to not look favourably on that really important economic relationship if we’re not looking after our obligations to NATO,” he said.
Kinew said he’d like to see a “credible” national plan to meet the target within the next four years to prevent a potential “a trade irritant.”
“There’s a strong case that hitting the two per cent target would benefit our province domestically and … (act) as an investment in our trade relationship with the United States,” he said.
Some defence spending could help support Manitoba’s aerospace industry and create jobs, while the Port of Churchill and the rail line leading to it could be enhanced as a strategic asset for Arctic security, Kinew said.
“You have that category of dual-use infrastructure that we could be looking at as part of meeting that (defence) target,” he said.
The premier said other spending could support armed forces resources and members, who are often tapped to help Manitobans during emergencies such as wildfires and flooding.
He also suggested Manitoba could potentially help Quebec cope with a large influx of asylum seekers if the federal government provides housing and other resources to support that effort.
“I think the main message that we want to get across is that there needs to be federal support in order to enable this collaboration across the provinces,” Kinew said. “We just want to abide by our long history in Manitoba of welcoming people fleeing violence and persecution around the world.”
The premier also urged the federal government to avoid any drastic changes to Canadian equalization payments, noting Manitoba needs reliable funding to deliver key services such as health care and education.
— With files from Tyler Searle and The Canadian Press
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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