Former defence chief urges urgency in rebuilding Canadian military

Retired General Wayne Eyre, former chief of the defence staff, has called for greater urgency in rebuilding the Canadian Armed Forces to address rapid political and physical global changes.

While Eyre expressed encouragement regarding Prime Minister Mark Carney’s pledge to meet NATO defence spending targets, he warned that the government must educate the public on sovereignty and security threats. He noted that maintaining the ‘social licence’ to fund these investments depends on Canadians understanding the risks facing the country.

Canada expects to meet the NATO target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence in 2025. The government has committed to increasing this to four per cent of GDP by the end of the decade, though a specific plan to reach that target has not been revealed. Analysis suggests meeting the four per cent goal by 2030 could require an annual spend of $163 billion, which is $34.9 billion more annually than previously budgeted.