A new federal study suggests Canadians are wary of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s pledge to boost defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, with most respondents in focus groups reacting negatively to the proposal.Blacklock's Reporter says according to the Privy Council report, participants questioned whether such a rise was economically feasible, especially given other financial pressures like inflation and high living costs. “Almost all reacted negatively to this idea,” the report said. Many felt the proposed increase was far too high compared with current spending, which last year totaled $34.6 billion, or less than 1.5% of GDP.While some participants said Canada should spend more on modernizing the armed forces, others argued the country’s historical role as a peacekeeper meant the focus should be on de-escalating international tensions rather than increasing military outlays. .“Given other challenges Canadians were facing at present, it might be difficult for the federal government to afford a significant increase to its defence spending in the short term,” the report noted.The study, conducted under a $1.6 million contract with Toronto pollster The Strategic Counsel, also found Canadians are aware of international pressure, particularly from the U.S., for Canada to meet NATO obligations. Researchers concluded that while a roughly equal number of respondents felt current spending was too low or about right, very few thought the government was spending too much on defence.
