(Pointe-Claire) Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has pledged that a future government will eliminate what he calls “unnecessary foreign aid” and not allow funds to go to “dictators, terrorists and multinational bureaucracies.”
He made the comments Thursday in response to a question about his position on NATO’s military spending targets, as the military alliance’s ministers meet in Brussels.
Mr. Poilievre is giving his first glimpse of his thoughts on defense spending this week, as he continues to focus his messages on cost-of-living issues — and as public opinion polls show the Prime Liberals Minister Justin Trudeau are lagging behind the Conservatives.
The Conservative leader’s office says a future Poilievre government “will strive to meet Canada’s NATO spending commitment” of 2% of its GDP, while Ottawa continues to be well behind short of the objective.
Last year, Canada’s defense spending was just under 1.3% of its GDP.
Former US President Donald Trump told a recent re-election rally that he would encourage Russia to “do whatever it wants” to any NATO member that shied away from its spending commitments .
Redirect foreign aid to the Canadian military
Mr. Trudeau’s national defense plan depends on the United States protecting Canada, Mr. Poilievre said at a press conference Thursday in Pointe-Claire, on the island of Montreal.
“Justin Trudeau wants to depend on the Americans, on Joe Biden or Donald Trump to defend Canada. I want Canada to have the strength to defend itself and the sovereignty to make its own decisions,” declared Mr. Poilievre.
He said he would redirect foreign aid money to the Canadian Armed Forces.
Mr. Poilievre’s office did not immediately specify which countries or programs would see its funding cut.
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said Poilievre’s proposal would result in “a diminution of Canada’s influence on the world stage.”
“It’s a shock for me and for our government,” he said Thursday. This will mean reduced support for the world’s most vulnerable people. »
Last month, Mr. Poilievre pledged to permanently stop funding a United Nations agency that supports the Palestinians, after some of its employees allegedly played a role in the bloody October 7 attack on Israel.
After these allegations came to light, the federal Liberals announced they would suspend funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA.
The former Conservative government of Stephen Harper ended funding for the agency in 2010, and the Liberals restored it in 2016 after coming to power. In 2010, Mr. Harper announced that his government would freeze foreign aid for five years in order to balance the budget. The spending cuts came two years later.
Mr. Poilievre also pledged to withdraw from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and end the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
He promised Thursday to find more money for defense spending by targeting the bureaucracy and defense contractors.
The Ministry of National Defense has a budget of approximately 26.5 billion for the current fiscal year. This amount is expected to reach almost 40 billion by 2026-2027.
Long-term spending commitments
Most of the next few years’ budget is devoted to long-term spending commitments – for example, the purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets.
The most recent federal budget announced plans to save more than $15 billion over five years by reducing consulting, professional services and travel by 15% and departmental spending by 3%.
“The world is more complex, more difficult and is impacting people’s daily lives in ways that were difficult to imagine just a decade ago,” Trudeau said Thursday, when asked about Ms. .Trump on NATO.
“Canada will, as is consistent, defend its interests and values, but will allow the democratic process to take place fully in the United States without our interference. »
As for foreign affairs in general, Poilievre told a roundtable in Brampton last week that he would focus on defending Canada’s interests.
“I want a foreign policy that defends this country, this country alone,” he declared. Our own interests are paramount, first and foremost and that is what we will restore. »