QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of National Defence
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
November 7, 2024
Thank you very much, minister. Perhaps it falls to me to address the elephant in the room. Since the end of the Second World War and beginning of the Cold War, the paradigm upon which our defence is predicated is that we belong to an alliance of Western allies facing Russia.
In January, we may enter a world in which the president-elect exercises his warm personal relationship with Vladimir Putin in a way that will start to corrode the foundations of the NATO and NORAD alliances. This is probably the worst question of all to end with, but I’m wondering what position within government you are looking at to deal with other Western allies to talk about a potential world post-NORAD and post-NATO and what that means for Canada.
My view is not as pessimistic, if I may. First of all, I’ve also heard the new president-elect’s comments and his concerns that he expressed with the NATO that he experienced during his previous administration. Since the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, I think it has been Putin’s intention to break apart or to weaken the alliance which is NATO, and I think he has failed miserably. What I have witnessed in my role as the Minister of National Defence — and I’ve attended numerous NATO defence ministers’ meetings and of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — is a remarkable strength in NATO and new members coming in, particularly Sweden and Finland. There is an incredible resolve and commitment by NATO members and an acknowledgment — not rhetoric — given the reality of Putin’s illegal invasion, that we need to do more globally in our national defence, and all of us are upping our game and making significant new investments. There is huge and important work taking place among our industries to ensure production, because production is also deterrence.
I’m hopeful that the new president-elect will learn about a new NATO when he assumes office in January. I’m also hopeful that he will see that it’s a stronger organization, a more committed organization and that all of its members, including Canada, are committed to making the investments that will make it as strong as it needs to be.
We live in hope, minister.
Yes, ma’am.
