Latest news with #McGuinty
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Carney says he wants Canada to join major European defense plan
OTTAWA — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he wants his country to join a major European plan to bolster defenses by 1 July. Speaking to CBC on Tuesday, Carney said he hoped Canada would sign on to ReArm Europe — a plan to dramatically increase defense spending on the continent to in the next five years — in a bid to reduce reliance on the US. "Seventy-five cents of every (Canadian) dollar of capital spending for defense goes to the United States. That's not smart," Carney told the public broadcaster. His remarks come amid tension with the US after threats from President Donald Trump — though Carney has also previously said he is open to joining a missile defense project proposed by Trump. A day after Carney's remarks, Canada's defense minister told a military trade show that his country wanted to quickly boost defense capacity in the face of growing global threats. "The global security environment is today volatile and uncertain," said defense minister David McGuinty on Wednesday, citing Russia's war in Ukraine, as well as a more assertive China. McGuinty said there would be a future focus on the Arctic, where competing nations were challenging Canada's sovereignty. Defense also featured on Tuesday in the Speech from the Throne — an event that opened the new parliament and outlined the sitting government's agenda. The address was read in person by King Charles III, Canada's monarch, as part of a royal visit that was designed to highlight Canada's identity and sovereignty. The speech contained commitments to "rebuilding, rearming, and reinvesting" in Canada's military. It also outlined the government's goal of strengthening defense relationships with European allies, and made mention of joining the ReArm Europe plan. The remarks by Canadian officials come after Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said he expected members of his Western defense alliance — including Canada — to grow their annual defense spending to a level equivalent to 5% of each nation's GDP. The Nato target was previously 2% of GDP, but Rutte said members must prepare to defend themselves from increasingly powerful adversaries like Russia and China. "Russia has teamed up with China, North Korea and Iran," Rutte told a Nato forum in the US on Monday. "They are expanding their militaries and their capabilities. They are preparing for long-term confrontation." The plan to increase Nato's spending target still has to be approved by member-country leaders, who are set to meet in the Netherlands in late June. Canada has long faced pressure for failing to meet Nato targets, and was accused last year by US House Speaker Mike Johnson of "riding on America's coattails". Canadian business leaders have also called on their government to majorly boost spending in the defense industry, touting this as a way to boost the economy. In Wednesday's remarks, McGuinty told defense industry representatives that Carney's government would prioritize procuring military technology and equipment from Canadian companies. Last week, Carney said that "high-level" talks were also taking place with the US about joining Trump's Golden Dome missile defense system. The King's throne speech noted that Canada wanted to continue talks with the US on security on trade. The US president posted on his Truth Social network later on Tuesday evening that the Golden Dome project would cost Canada US$61bn "if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation." "But will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State," he added, repeating his often-repeated view that Canada should be absorbed by the US. "They are considering the offer!" he claimed. In response, Carney's office said in a statement that the prime minister "has been clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will remain one". Meanwhile, Canada's UN ambassador reposted the US president's comment on X with the response: "In another context this would called a 'protection racket'." — BBC
Global News
3 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Canada's new military investment urgency will rival WWII, minister vows
The federal government will take 'immediate and decisive action' to rebuild Canada's military, Defence Minister David McGuinty told an audience of military contractors at a trade show in Ottawa Wednesday morning. He described the government's sense of urgency by citing the speed at which Canada built up its navy at the start of the Second World War. McGuinty also warned that countries around the world are adjusting quickly to a changing global threat environment. 'I read yesterday that the Netherlands let 22 per cent of their public servants go — except for the defence department — to meet their obligations,' he said in a state-of-the-union style speech at the CANSEC trade show in Ottawa. 'Other countries are doing away with national holidays. Others are increasing corporate taxes or running larger deficits in anticipation of the troubles that might be forthcoming.' Story continues below advertisement That comment cites Denmark's recent decision to abolish a long weekend holiday called 'Great Prayer Day' in an attempt to bring in more tax revenue to cover its NATO defence spending target. The Liberal party's election platform states that the single largest sum in Prime Minister Mark Carney's spending plan — more than $30.9 billion — is earmarked for defence over the next four years. 1:57 Canada election 2025: Carney vows to bolster Canada's military McGuinty's remarks come just a day after the Liberal government signalled in its throne speech, read by King Charles, that Canada plans to join ReArm Europe, a major European defence procurement pact. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy McGuinty said joining the plan will diversify Canada's defence partnerships and give it access to new opportunities in Europe's $1.25 trillion defence marketplace. But McGuinty refused to answer reporters' questions after his speech and ducked out through a back door by the stage. Story continues below advertisement In an interview with CBC News Tuesday evening, Carney said his government wants to join ReArm Europe by Canada Day. ReArm Europe is a plan to leverage loans and redraw fiscal rules to pump funds into rearming European nations and building up domestic defence industries. The initiative was launched after U.S. President Donald Trump suspended U.S. military aid supporting Ukraine's defence in its ongoing war with Russia, which has recently intensified. Trump's former secretary of state Mike Pompeo also addressed the crowd of defence industry insiders in private at the CANSEC trade show Wednesday. Carney spoke about the ReArm plan with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in March, not long after he first took office. He also quickly arranged a trip to the U.K. and France to bolster relationships with those major arms-producing nations. 1:51 Canada election 2025: Carney promises to revamp defence procurement Speaking with reporters at the CANSEC trade show, Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny of the Royal Canadian Air Force said it's important to have a strong supply chain in place for times of crisis. Story continues below advertisement 'The lessons that we're seeing through the brutal war in Ukraine and the loss of countless of lives unnecessarily by the illegal invasion of Russia … show us that we need to be prepared for potential future threats,' he said. 'ReArm Europe is one of those ways of diversifying portfolios and I think it'll probably be good for Canadian business.' Canada's commitment to ReArm comes at a time of profound trade tensions with the U.S., which has long been its most important trading and security partner and remains a key part of its military supply chains. It also comes as Trump continues to pressure Canada and other NATO allies to ramp up defence spending. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that he expects NATO allies to commit to spending five per cent of their GDP on defence at the NATO meeting in The Hague next month. That would amount to a massive hike in Canada's defence budget requiring tens of billions of dollars in new spending. Roughly 1.5 per cent of that five per cent commitment may end up being accounted for through broader investments in things like defence infrastructure and cyber security. Some experts warn Canada's persistent low level of defence spending is making it increasingly isolated in NATO. Story continues below advertisement McGuinty will head to Brussels for a meeting of NATO defence ministers next week. Ottawa Police, meanwhile, said officers arrested 11 protesters outside the CANSEC show Wednesday on charges of mischief and assaulting police. Anti-war protesters gather every year outside the event venue near the Ottawa airport to demonstrate against the sale of arms and military vehicles, blocking the road and slowing traffic to a crawl.
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Defence Minister McGuinty promotes ReArm Europe plan but leaves spotlight to Carney
Defence Minister David McGuinty told a defence industry trade show this morning Ottawa will take 'immediate and decisive action' to rebuild Canada's military. His statement comes just a day after the Liberal government signalled in its throne speech, read by King Charles, that Canada plans to join ReArm Europe, a major European defence procurement pact, in the coming weeks. In an interview with CBC News Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government wants to make that happen by Canada Day. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. McGuinty said joining the plan will diversify Canada's defence partnerships and give it access to new opportunities in Europe's $1.25 trillion defence marketplace. In a state-of-the-union style speech to industry representatives at the CANSEC trade show in Ottawa, McGuinty said Canada plans to triple its military spending from 2014 levels by the end of the decade. But he refused to answer any questions from reporters and ducked out through a back door — leaving the spotlight entirely to the prime minister on this major shift in defence policy. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Ottawa Citizen
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Five challenges Canada's new defence minister will need to navigate
Article content One of McGuinty's jobs will be to help set the stage for Carney's promise to speed up military equipment purchases by creating a new Defence Procurement Agency. Article content But is this another empty pledge? In the early days of his government Trudeau also vowed to improve defence procurement but little was accomplished. In the 2019 election the Liberals also pledged to create a separate defence procurement agency but that was never done. Article content New equipment Article content The Liberal defence platform outlines specific military equipment purchases and it will be up to McGuinty to help shepherd those through cabinet. Those include new submarines, self-propelled artillery and made-in-Canada airborne early warning and control aircraft. Article content That last specific promise would help placate Canada's aerospace industry who were critical of the Trudeau government's decision in November 2023 to award a sole source $8 billion contract to Boeing in the U.S. for new military surveillance planes. Article content Article content Canadian-made solutions were passed over for the American-made one and the supposed goodwill that such a deal might create with the U.S. government. Article content Carney's defence platform also included the promise to purchase a new ground based air defence system. If that sounds familiar, it's because the same promise was originally outlined in the 2018 Liberal defence capability plan. Article content Recruitment and retention Article content The Liberals have promised to modernize the military recruitment process to get applicants into the Canadian Forces at a much faster rate. That process has already been underway so McGuinty will inherit a file on which much work has been done. Article content Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said at a Feb. 19, 2025, briefing for journalists that the military was on track to meet its recruitment goal of enrolling 6,496 members this fiscal year. The Liberal government and military leadership has talked about rebuilding the Canadian Forces in what has been called a reconstitution effort. The goal is to at least rebuild the ranks to 71,500 in the regular force and 30,000 in the primary reserves, according to a DND results report released in 2024. Article content Article content What wasn't mentioned in the Liberal policy was the need to retain those skilled military personnel already in the ranks. Article content In April 2024, a top advisor to the chief of the defence staff warned that Canada's soldiers were leaving the ranks because of toxic military leadership. Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann flagged his concerns during an April 23 meeting in which he appealed for changes in how leaders dealt with lower ranks. Job dissatisfaction, a lack of housing and repeated moves to new locations across the country have been cited in past military reports as the top reasons that Canadian Forces personnel leave. Article content A retention bonus was proposed in October 2024 to try to convince military personnel not to leave but that was shot down by the defence leadership.
Ottawa Citizen
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa South: David McGuinty posts a commanding win
The big question for Ottawa South from the moment the polls closed was the size of Liberal David McGuinty's victory. Article content Article content With almost 90 per cent of polls reporting, the area's longtime MP had garnered just over 65 per cent of the votes. Article content Speaking at his victory party, McGuinty said of those he met at the doors, 'I think what they told us was Canada was a project worth fighting for. We love our country, we love our community, we love each other, we stick together and build a country which is unequaled in the world.' Article content Article content In an interview with the Citizen, he noted people are 'concerned about our future, they're concerned about the economy. They're concerned about jobs and the future for their kids. Article content Article content 'They're concerned about housing and health care, and they want to come together in a way I've never seen before, to fight for Canada and build an even better and stronger one.' Article content He also had words about the future of the public service. 'How we move forward in terms of managing the public service will be important. I know that myself and my caucus colleagues in the region will come together to make sure that it's fair and transparent.' Article content McGuinty was an early supporter of Mark Carney as leader and prime minister. 'This is a serious moment, he said. 'It's a serious time. We need a serious prime minister and serious leadership, and I think that that's what he represents. In a quiet and a thoughtful and authentic way.' Article content Article content This is the eighth time McGuinty's name has been on the ballot. He has consistently won more than 40 per cent of the vote since he first ran in 2004 (winning more than 52 per cent in 2019, dropping to around 49 per cent in 2021). Article content If the McGuinty name is familiar, it's because the sprawling family has had a political presence since 1987, when McGuinty's father, Dalton McGuinty Sr., won the predecessor provincial riding. Dalton Sr. died in 1990 and his son Dalton was elected as MPP, later becoming Ontario premier between 2003 and 2013. Article content Article content David McGuinty, a lawyer, was the founding chair of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, president of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and president and CEO of the Prime Minister's National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, a government think-tank.
