A three-day meeting among Canada害羞草研究所檚 premiers ended with provincial and territorial leaders calling on Ottawa to quickly ramp up defence spending in order to protect the country害羞草研究所檚 trade relationship with the United States ahead of its upcoming election.
At the closing news conference of the Council of the Federation meetings in Halifax, multiple premiers highlighted the importance of Canada害羞草研究所檚 NATO commitment to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 really important we meet those obligations on the world stage,害羞草研究所� Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said Wednesday.
害羞草研究所淔or Canada and its relationship with the United States 害羞草研究所� we are significant trading partners, we want them to respect us fully, in all aspects, including our ability to honour obligations.害羞草研究所�
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he expects to hit NATO害羞草研究所檚 defence spending target in 2032 害羞草研究所� a newly announced timeline that came after days of pressure from other countries.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has said he would not commit to the alliance害羞草研究所檚 spending goal. He said last week that害羞草研究所檚 because he doesn害羞草研究所檛 make promises he cannot keep.
On Wednesday, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew called on Ottawa to meet the target before 2032 in order to protect Arctic sovereignty and the country害羞草研究所檚 relationship with the United States.
Kinew said many jobs in Manitoba are linked to trade with the U.S. and being a good NATO partner is essential for the relationship between the two countries to 害羞草研究所渇lourish.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 an investment in our military and defence, but this is also an economic investment,害羞草研究所� he said during Wednesday害羞草研究所檚 closing press conference.
害羞草研究所淎nd if we don害羞草研究所檛 make this investment, the next U.S. administration is likely to cause 害羞草研究所� some consternation when it comes to the super important relationship with U.S. trade to create jobs and economic opportunities across Canada.害羞草研究所�
British Columbia Premier David Eby said due to Canada害羞草研究所檚 current military funding plans, there害羞草研究所檚 a sense of 害羞草研究所渁nxiety害羞草研究所� about a potential Donald Trump administration.
害羞草研究所淗aving a tight relationship with the United States is really important. And I think it害羞草研究所檚 unambiguous, the message from a potentially incoming Republican administration, around what their expectations are from Canada in terms of investments in defence,害羞草研究所� Eby said Wednesday.
害羞草研究所淪o we really encourage the federal government to be prepared for that, to be prepared for an incoming Republican administration, so that we害羞草研究所檙e taking that off the table as one of the possible areas of dispute.害羞草研究所�
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey also said Wednesday he agreed that Ottawa should work towards meeting the NATO target before 2032, and urged the federal government to start by putting money into 5 Wing Goose Bay, the existing military base in the far north of the province.
Furey said another important defence priority should be protecting the region害羞草研究所檚 cod 害羞草研究所� an important regional industry that had been under a federal moratorium for more than 30 years.
The premier said the province is celebrating the return of the valuable fishery, but in lifting the moratorium the federal government has 害羞草研究所渋nvited Russian trawlers off our shores.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭his is a resource that has been nursed back to good health by the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and it does not deserve to be caught by Russian trawlers,害羞草研究所� Furey said.
On Tuesday, premiers Ranj Pillai of the Yukon, R.J. Simpson of the Northwest Territories and P.J. Akeeagok of Nunavut held a press conference on Arctic security and the importance of collaborative investment in building up infrastructure to protect Canada害羞草研究所檚 Arctic, which is targeted by Russia and China and coveted for its abundant resources.
Throughout the three-day conference, premiers repeated calls for the federal government to back off from areas of provincial and territorial jurisdiction, and work more collaboratively to avoid doubling up on programs like dental care or school lunches.
害羞草研究所淲hat we害羞草研究所檝e asked for from Ottawa is to partner with us on those things and work with us, and not try to go around us 害羞草研究所� as may be the case sometimes, as we see on some of the housing stuff that害羞草研究所檚 happening now,害羞草研究所� Houston said Tuesday. A federal program that gets heat from provinces is Ottawa害羞草研究所檚 Housing Accelerator Fund, which distributes money for housing directly to cities and municipalities, bypassing provincial governments.
In a letter from Trudeau to Houston and Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Wednesday, the prime minister said his government害羞草研究所檚 intent is to use federal funding to improve the lives of Canadians, 害羞草研究所渘ot to infringe on provincial and territorial jurisdiction.害羞草研究所�
This letter comes after Eby said Tuesday working with Ottawa can feel like 害羞草研究所渂eating our head against a wall.害羞草研究所�
Eby told reporters that for years at these federation get-togethers, he and his counterparts have asked for a meeting with Trudeau.
害羞草研究所淭hat call continues to go unanswered and I cannot understand why because we have a lot of work to do together,害羞草研究所� Eby said.
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