The Strong Secure Engaged policy unveiled by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is a defence plan you might expect from a Conservative government. The plan is to spend an extra $6.6 billion in the next five years and $62.3 billion over the next 20 years. Spending increases will follow in each year until, by 2027-8, defence expenditure reaches $33.4 billion a year, from $18.9 billion this year. The 2005 defence policy statement promised increased defence budgets, which saw a 35 per cent spending uptick by 2011. For now, though, the government should be commended for putting the national interest ahead of its own narrow partisan concerns.

Source: National Post June 07, 2017 22:18 UTC