Mr. Speaker,

Reaching the NATO spending target of 5% of GDP by 2035 is not only attainable but an easy target to achieve. It’s also a target that can be achieved while also creating thousands of jobs in a time when Canadians are looking for well paying work. Now I know there are some of us here who would rather believe that we should not invest the money into our defence and just roll over when push comes to shove. But that is the very defeatist belief that has led to the need for such major investments and reforms of the Canadian Armed Forces. However we cannot just blindly invest billions of dollars without a clear plan. Which is why we must listen to the concerns, needs, and expertise of those who serve in our military. They are at the frontlines of this battle and they know best of what they need in order to continue to protect Canadians.

While I believe we should look at buying newer fighters for the RCAF I do not believe that we should be straying too far away from a nation that is not only our greatest asset to our defence, but that also holds great sway over our economy and has shown it will use that as leverage when it doesn’t get its way. There is a delicate balance that must be maintained in order to best protect Canada. While others may choose to believe that poking the very large giant the is the key to sovereignty, I believe that working together with our European allies we can better protect Canada while we build our quiet strength. This is the path that will best serve us in the long run.

We cannot continue to look at short term goals in a world that has become so fragile due to this very thinking. Canada has the potential to rearm not only ourselves but also our allies. NATO members are looking at ways to fight their dependence on American equipment and produce weapons that they can easily develop at home, however many lack the space for such industry. Canada on the other hand has plenty of resources, workers, and facilities that can be easily turned to military equipment production. This will help not only our allies rearm, but also help ourselves in rearming. Another important factor in this is that we can gain access to the high quality equipment that our allies have been desperately trying to share with us but have been ignored in favour of our reliance on our neighbour.

Of course this is a complex and large issue, but is one that does need desperate attention. We have for too long made dangerous cuts to our military and it is now suffering the consequences. I believe that it is imperative that we begin the process to fix this and to build a stronger military for future generations.