cover of episode PM Trudeau's NATO commitment is meaningless. It's just another announcement.

PM Trudeau's NATO commitment is meaningless. It's just another announcement.

2024/7/11
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Justin Trudeau: 加拿大自2015年以来在国防支出方面大幅增加，达到1750亿加元。这一数字反映了加拿大对国防的重视，以及对北约的贡献。政府的国防支出策略并非由名义目标（例如GDP的2%）驱动，而是基于对自身需求和全球贡献的考量，致力于提升国防实力和国际合作。 具体而言，加拿大在2017年启动了490亿加元的长期国防投资计划，用于采购新军舰、飞机和装甲车等；2022年，又宣布投资380亿加元用于北美防空司令部（NORAD）的现代化建设；最近还发布了《我们北方强盛且自由》国防政策更新，将在未来二十年投资730亿加元用于国防。 尽管如此，加拿大仍承诺在2032年将国防支出达到GDP的2%。这并非简单的数字游戏，而是加拿大在国际安全合作中负责任的体现。 Mike Johnson: 加拿大对北约的国防支出贡献不足，令人羞愧。加拿大未能达到北约成员国GDP 2%的最低国防支出目标，这不仅是对北约盟友的不负责任，也是对自身安全的不重视。加拿大应该履行其作为北约成员国的义务，为维护集体安全做出应有的贡献。 Scott Clancy: 加拿大政府历届政府都宣布国防支出计划，但军队实际上并没有花掉这些钱。这并非偶然，而是政府有意为之，为了在其他方面获得更多选票。政府在国防支出上存在严重的体制性问题，包括军队人员不足、安全许可审批流程缓慢、以及政府采购程序繁琐等。这些问题导致国防资金无法有效利用，也使得政府的国防支出承诺缺乏可信度。 政府有动机保持国防部的低效状态，因为这样可以将未使用的国防资金转移到其他更能赢得选票的领域，例如医疗保健和社会福利等。政府玩弄数字游戏，既要维护国际形象，又要避免在国防支出上投入过多资金。 Dave Trafford: 本期节目讨论了加拿大总理特鲁多在北约峰会上关于国防支出的声明。特鲁多政府承诺在2032年将国防支出达到GDP的2%，但这一承诺缺乏细节和可信度。美国众议院多数党领袖迈克·约翰逊批评加拿大国防支出不足，而退役少将斯科特·克兰西则指出，加拿大政府长期以来存在国防支出效率低下的问题，这与政府的政治考量有关。 Bill Blair: 加拿大国防支出重点不在数量而在质量，政府致力于提升国防实力和国际合作。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why is Canada's defense spending a contentious issue at the NATO Summit?

Canada's defense spending is contentious because it falls below NATO's minimum contribution of 2% of GDP, currently at less than 1.4%. U.S. House Majority Leader Mike Johnson criticized Canada's lack of commitment as 'shameful,' accusing it of riding on America's coattails for security.

What is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's stance on Canada's defense spending target?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismisses the 2% GDP target as a 'nominal' goal, emphasizing that Canada's defense spending is driven by strategic needs rather than arbitrary benchmarks. He announced a commitment to reach the 2% target by 2032, eight years from now, but provided no detailed plan.

What challenges do the Canadian Armed Forces face in spending allocated defense funds?

The Canadian Armed Forces routinely return hundreds of millions of dollars annually because they cannot spend it. Recruitment bottlenecks, particularly security clearances handled by CSIS, and complex procurement procedures hinder their ability to execute spending programs effectively.

What is the significance of Canada's defense spending announcements according to Major General Scott Clancy?

Major General Scott Clancy argues that defense spending announcements are often political gestures rather than actionable plans. Governments have a vested interest in not fully enabling the Department of National Defense to spend allocated funds, as reallocating these resources to other programs garners more votes.

How does Canada's defense spending compare to other NATO members?

Canada ranks in the top five NATO countries in terms of absolute increases in defense spending since 2015, with an additional $175 billion allocated. However, as a percentage of GDP, Canada spends less than 1.4%, well below the NATO minimum of 2%.

Shownotes Transcript

This week on Now and Next:The NATO Summit has wrapped up in Washington D.C. and Canada’s defence spending was a more than touchy subject. House Majority Leader Mike Johnson called Canada's lack of commitment "shameful". The minimum contribution for NATO members is 2% of GDP. Canada spends less than 1.4%.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadian spending will not be driven by some "nominal" target. At the same time, he made a meaningless gesture to hit the 2% target by 2032 - EIGHT YEARS from now.Retired Major General Scott Clancy served in the RCAF and as Director of Operations for NORAD. He says government after government make defence spending announcements BUT the Armed Forces never spend it. In fact, the CAF routinely turns back hundreds of millions of dollars every year because they CAN’T spend it.