Blair announces training, equipment deals at military trade show
Defence Minister Bill Blair came to the country's largest defence industry trade show on Wednesday to announce billions of dollars in training and equipment deals for the armed forces, and faced yet more questions about Canada's commitment to the NATO spending target.
Blair was the morning's keynote speaker at CANSEC, the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries annual trade show in Ottawa.
He touted the government's updated defence policy, which sets out $73 billion worth of projects and procurements over 20 years, including an additional $8.1 billion in spending in the next four years.
That brings the country closer to the NATO alliance target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence, but still falls short at just 1.76 per cent by 2029-30.
Last week, a group of 23 U.S. senators signed a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying they were concerned and "profoundly disappointed" that Canada won't meet its obligation by the end of the decade.
The senators urged Trudeau to come to the next NATO summit in Washington, D.C., in July with a plan to get to two per cent.
Speaking to reporters, Blair insisted the government is on "a very clear path" and plans to grow defence spending by 27 per cent next year over this year.
"But that increase also requires that we spent that money well, that we produce real value for the investment Canadians are making in defence," he said.
He noted the defence policy does not include cost estimates for projects the government is yet to begin, like a plan to purchase a fleet of submarines, for example.
He said he's confident that with new capabilities, the country will "well exceed" the two per cent target.
"I'm very confident I will be able to assure our NATO allies, our American partners, Canada is moving very strongly in an upward trajectory of defence spending. We are going to do what is required," he said.
Blair's announcement Wednesday was for a $2.5-billion deal to buy logistics vehicles for the army and an $11.2-billion deal for flight training for Royal Canadian Air Force pilots.
The 25-year flight training deal with SkyAlyne Canada Ltd. includes classroom training, simulations and the purchase of 70 training aircraft.
The first of 1,500 logistics vehicles from General Dynamics Land Systems Canada and Marshall Canada are set to arrive in 2027, and Blair said they will be used in domestic disaster assistance as well as overseas deployments.
The trade show attracted antiwar protesters who staged demonstrations outside the event space in the morning, including some who hoped to shut down access to the trade show altogether.
Kathrin Winkler, a member of Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace, travelled from Halifax with five other people to call for an end to increased military spending.
"Here at CANSEC, this is where people are coming with taxpayers' money and shopping lists that will lead them to the reckless destruction of human lives, livelihoods, infrastructure and a livable planet," she said.
Winkler handed out white-and-green "peace poppies" to people walking inside, though there were few takers.
Nearby, several dozen people gathered on the sidewalks and the main road leading to the event, shouting "shame" at attendees as they walked inside and accusing them of supporting genocide.
Many of the protesters carried Palestinian flags. Some carried signs and posters with graphic images of injured children in the war-torn territory.
A number of the protesters covered their hands and bodies in red paint, and splashed red paint across the road where they laid down, blocking vehicles from entering the parking lot.
Ottawa police were restricting traffic in the area and monitoring the protests.
World Beyond War Canada posted on social media that seven activists were arrested at CANSEC before the group moved to Parliament Hill to demonstrate. The group has protested at CANSEC events in past years.
Ottawa police would not confirm how many people were arrested at the demonstrations or answer questions about what led to the arrests, but said a list of charges would be released later Wednesday.
World Beyond War has been calling for an arms embargo on Israel that would stop both imports and exports.
Asked for his response to the protests, Blair said Canada has a "very rigorous arms export regime."
"There has not been a single arms export permit issued since January by Canada for any Israeli arms, and Global Affairs has been very clear that no additional export permits will be released as long as that conflict persists," he said.
In late March, a majority of members of Parliament voted in favour of a non-binding motion, introduced by the NDP, calling for an end to arms exports to Israel.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government鈥檚 three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party鈥檚 popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn鈥檛 be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING BMO online service outages reported by customers
Dozens of Bank of Montreal customers said they faced website outages early Wednesday morning, according to reports.
W5 Investigates How a clothes donation bin company passed itself off as a charity, while donated items were put up for sale
In part two of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5 uses trackers tp reveal a for-profit operation masquerading as a charity.
Does the updated Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine protect against the XEC variant?
The XEC strain, a hybrid of Omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, was first detected in Canada in mid-August and the number of COVID-19 cases with the XEC variant has rapidly increased.
'Unbelievably violent': Gisele Pelicot, French victim of mass rape, takes the stand
Gisele Pelicot, the 72-year-old victim of mass rape whose ordeal has shocked the world, told a trial in southern France on Wednesday that she was determined that making her case public should help other women and change society.
Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.
A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.
Bank of Canada to release interest rate decision, economic forecast today
The Bank of Canada is set to make its latest interest rate decision this morning.
American Airlines fined US$50M over mishandling of disabled passengers and wheelchairs
The U.S. government fined American Airlines $50 million for failing to provide wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities and damaging thousands of wheelchairs over a five-year period.
Local Spotlight
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥