22 March 2017.
The federal budget is due to be presented in the next few weeks. With fiscal room shrinking, and an uncertain relationship with Canada’s biggest trading partner, it will be interesting to see how the Department of National Defence fares. Also of interest is the fact that the new US administration introduced a ‘skinny budget’ this week which proposed increases to the military and security establishments, paid for by major decreases to the ‘soft’ power agencies like the State Department (and the Environmental Protection Agency). Will this put pressure on Canada to increase military spending (and decrease environmental spending)?
Two articles to look at: (1) Dave Perry’s article in the winter issue of Canadian Naval Review, “The Navy’s Prospects in Trudeau’s Defence Policy Review” [Vol 12.4]; and (2) J. Craig Stone, “Growing the Defence Budget: What Would Two Percent of GDP Look Like?” [Canadian Global Affairs Institute].
