“We need to rebuild our armed forces”: Canadian finance minister promises defense overhaul while admitting country is NATO’s worst spending offender

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Canada currently spends only 1.37 percent of its GDP on defense, making it one of the lowest contributors among NATO members. We need to build new defense systems, but we need to do that where we support Canadian industry, Canadian workers, and Canadian autonomy,” Champagne told POLITICO during an interview in his office. — Jay Straith (@straithinator) May 19, 2025U.S. President Donald Trump and Ambassador Pete Hoekstra have been particularly vocal about Canada’s need to increase its defense spending. The finance minister indicated that the upcoming budget, planned for early fall, would provide more clarity on defense spending plans after the NATO summit in June. The proposed changes aim to not only strengthen Canada’s military capabilities but also rebuild the country’s defense industrial base.