Overview

• Lt-Gen. Stephen Kelsey told a Senate committee that the civilian Coast Guard will stay unarmed despite its shift under the Defence Minister’s authority.
• The service will maintain its separate status and operational autonomy even as it becomes part of the defence portfolio.
• Ottawa plans to count a larger share of Coast Guard spending toward its NATO obligations to help close its defence spending gap.
• Canada has consistently missed the 2% of GDP NATO benchmark and now faces pressure to commit to a 5% target at this week’s summit.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney last week announced new defence funds aimed at integrating maritime operations into Canada’s NATO contributions.