Ottawa/IBNS-CMEDIA: Prime Minister Mark Carney on Canadian Armed Forces Day touted record investments in the military, linking higher defence spending and pay raises to growing global security challenges.
In a message honouring serving personnel and veterans, Carney said Canada had moved with “unprecedented speed and scale” to rebuild and modernise its military amid growing global instability.
The Prime Minister said the government had delivered the largest pay raise for CAF members in a generation and launched what he described as the biggest increase in defence investment in modern Canadian history.
“We gave every CAF member a raise, the largest in a generation,” Carney said, arguing that military personnel deserved compensation reflecting the responsibilities they carry in defending Canada and its allies.
The remarks come as Canada seeks to strengthen its armed forces and boost military readiness in response to rising geopolitical tensions and evolving security threats.
Carney said Canada was on track to meet NATO’s new Defence Investment Pledge of spending 5% of GDP on defence-related commitments by 2035.
He added that the government’s fiscal framework already provides for total defence spending to reach 4% of GDP by the end of the decade.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the creation of a new Defence Investment Agency and Canada’s first defence industrial strategy, initiatives aimed at accelerating military procurement and strengthening domestic defence production.
According to Carney, the measures are intended to ensure Canadian troops receive modern equipment and capabilities needed for future operations.
“In a more dangerous and divided world, we are ever more grateful for their service and their sacrifice,” he said.
Carney described members of the armed forces as central to protecting Canada’s sovereignty, security and international commitments, saying they represent “the very best of Canada”.
The statement reflects the government’s broader effort to position national defence and military readiness as key priorities amid increasing global security challenges and growing pressure on NATO allies to raise defence spending.
(Reporting by Suman Das)
