Federal government dodges release of annual defence spending details to reach NATO target

Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is refusing to release details on how the federal government plans to spend on defence annually to meet NATO commitments, despite Prime Minister Mark Carney's public claims about the target.

Carney stated in May at the CANSEC defence conference that Canada will "substantially accelerate its defence spending" and reach four per cent of GDP in total defence spending by the end of this decade, ahead of NATO's timetable. He repeated the claim at a press conference in June.

When Global News asked Champagne's office for data from Budget 2025 or the Spring Economic Statement to support those statements, the office refused, saying they were "not in a position to scoop forthcoming announcements." The finance minister confirmed Monday he has seen requests from the Parliamentary Budget Officer for additional details about defence spending and NATO targets but did not commit to providing that information.

"We've always been very transparent with Canadians," Champagne said, though he offered no timeline for when details will be shared beyond saying "there will be more details, obviously, as we go forward."

A Global News analysis of the Spring Economic Statement estimates Canada will need to spend approximately $163 billion annually to meet Carney's commitment of four per cent of GDP by 2030 — an additional $34.9 billion annually on core defence spending compared to the 2025 budget. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated in February that increasing core defence spending to 3.5 per cent would require approximately $33.5 billion per year in additional cash expenditures over the next 10 years, increasing the budgetary deficit by $63 billion by fiscal year 2035-36.