Thank you very much, stephen. Its a pleasure to have you on the show. As Minister Of Defence in canada, how embarrassed are you that your country is still significantly failing to meet the collective commitment of nato Member States to spend at least 2 of your gdp on defence . Stephen, im not embarrassed at all because canada, under our government, has been investing very significantly in defence and theres been a very strong upper projectory of Defence Spending. Weve just introduced our latest Defence Policy, which injects a significant amount of new investment into Defence Spending. It builds up greater capabilities, it moves us much closer to the target of 2 , and with some of the other things that weve articulated in this Defence Policy, i think we are on a strong and inevitable path to achieving that 2 goal. Canada is well aware of its responsibilities to our nato allies, to our continental allies, through norad in the United States, and even around the world, and, as well, we are very strongly focused, as youve just mentioned, on our responsibilities to defend our own country and our own sovereignty, and were making very significant new investments, well be at 1. 76 as a result of this years budget, announcements, and we have also made sent a very clear signal to our allies we know we have to do more, were going to do more, we are investing in additional capabilities that will put us on a very clear and strong path to 2 . Minister, you dress it up as best you can, but youre basically breaking a very clear promise. Your Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was one of the nato leaders who last year fully committed to meet that 2 target. Youve just told me youre going to get to 1. 76 of gdp on defence, but that wont be until the Financial Year 29 30 some five years away. So not only are you breaking your promise, youre not even going to get close to meeting your promise after the next five years. And, stephen, if i may be clear, i think we can demonstrate to our allies that were working hard to actually keep that promise and, in fact, my Defence Spending budget is going to increase by 27 next year over this year. Since 2017, our government began investing significantly in defence. We have more than doubled our Defence Spending in that ensuing seven years. But as a result of the new investments were making, were in fact tripling our Defence Spending and we still have more to do. If i may say so, minister, that simply shows how little youve spent on defence over many, many years. The opposition conservatives say that canadas military is simply disfigured by dwindling personnel numbers, rusting warships, deteriorating fighterjets, and one of your experts in the country on defence studies, paul mitchell, says that your governments approach remains lackadaisical and feckless. Nobody is convinced by what youve told me. Those are remarkable statements coming from, for example, the conservatives who, when they were in government, actually reached a historic low in Defence Spending of less than 1 of gdp. Their abysmal record of support for National Defence and defence capability i think speaks for itself and deeds speak. And, in fact, as ivejust said, weve already undertaken initiatives to double our Defence Spending, were now working towards tripling our Defence Spending, and in every single case, the conservatives have voted against those initiatives. So, quite honestly, stephen, their words dont match their deeds, and the criticism that the critics level theres always old generals who talk about what we have not done, but, quite frankly, i look at their awful record in making sure that the Canadian Armed forces were ready, the lack of preparation that we inherited from the previous government, the investments that we are making and the work that we are doing now to for example, were replacing our halifax class frigates. They have been on the water for 45 years, they actually cost more to maintain than to replace. Were also investing in new fighter aircraft, were investing in new capabilities for our army, we have more work to do in acquiring underwater surveillance and integrated air missile defence. All of those expenditures are going to take us well past 2 . Frankly, it would be very nice if some of those those feckless critics could be a little bit clearer in showing support for those investments. They talk a good game but they never deliver. Polls suggest that many canadians are increasingly concerned about the lack of Military Capacity in your country given the geopolitical situation that we see, rising tensions around the world. I just wonder how you, as Minister Of Defence, can be satisfied with such vague commitments to future military capabilities. For example, this phrase in your most recent Defence Review that youve just been talking about with me, that canada is exploring options for renewing and expanding its submarine fleet. Now, this is a key Strategic Asset and you cant be more vague than simply saying were looking at options. Stephen, one of the things i will not put in our Defence Policy is unfunded commitments, and so the money that our government committed to Defence Spending in this latest budget, which we now have before the house, but which only introduced in april by our finance minister, the money that weve committed to that is going to significantly advance it, but i would point out, stephen, weve been very clear we know we have to invest in underwater surveillance, we have to replace we have an ageing victoria class fleet that, frankly, we bought them second hand from the uk in the � 90s. Those ships are no longer fit for purpose, we need to replace them. Im doing the work now to identify exactly what our requirements are and to go into the marketplace and send a clear signal to those that we require this capability, and when that work is done and it will not take that long ill be able to go back to my government and secure the funding that will be necessary to do it. But, stephen, you mention the canadians� growing concern. That, quite frankly, has been very purposeful for me. I was named the defence minister about nine months ago. When i found at the time that there was not a great deal of support among canadians for significant new investments in defence there are natural and understandable concerns about affordability and housing issues, healthcare and dental care, support for seniors, lifting kids out of poverty, all of those things are important obligations for our government but i began very purposely having conversations with canadians about the need to invest more in defence, and what we have seen over the last eight months is a near doubling in support among canadians for the investments that we know we have to make in defence, and i think one of the things that was most compelling for canadians with a refocusing of our Defence Policy on our responsibilities to defend canada, to defend our north, to defend the arctic approaches because a the changing geopolitical situation and the actions of russia and china in around the world, but particularly in our arctic, Climate Change is making the area more accessible. I want to go to specifics like your Arctic Strategy in just a second, butjust to stick with the big picture. The Achilles Heel of canada for a very long time has been your reliance on the United States and the assumption that youll always be protected by your big neighbour and partner to the south. 100 years ago, im mindful that a famous canadian liberal politician said canada is a fireproof house far removed from all flammable materials. You cant be so complacent anymore, can you, and the americans, your long time allies and partners, are putting real pressure on you now. We had a senior American General saying that hes going to have tough conversations with canada, and we heard donald trump, when he was president , mocking Justin Trudeau for the failure of your government to spend enough on defence. The americans will force you to get real, wont they . Well, stephen, i think youre kind of ignoring canadas long history of being there for our allies. Canada was the first answer to britains call in the second and in the first world war, most of the investments of the Canadian Armed forces have not been domestic, as you say, because we have the benefit of geography we are surrounded by three oceans, one of which is mostly has mostly been frozen, at least in the past, and we are have a benign neighbour, and the support of superpower in the United States. But canadas military has been active and engaged in europe and in the indo pacific and in the middle east and around the world, but we also recognise. But with respect, lets take one specific lets take ukraine canadas given less military and Financial Assistance to ukraine than small european countries, relatively small countries like denmark and norway. How do you justify that . I would just simply point out i think you might want to go back and check the math simply because canadas investment in ukraine since the onset of the war first of all, we didnt begin in 2022, when russia invaded ukraine at the latest time, but in 2015, we began training the Ukrainian Armed forces in ukraine, and we did that in partnership, by the way, with the uk. In 2022, after that invasion, we had to move some of that training out of ukraine into poland and the uk, but weve continued to make those investments. But canadas actually contributed nearly 14 billion in both military and otherfinancial aides to ukraine since the onset of hostilities, we work very close with president zelensky, i work very closely in partnership, i spoke to him a couple of times this week, with Minister Umerov and their Defence Industry minister as well. There are really strong ties between our two countries. We have from the very outset of hostilities, and even well before hostilities been there for ukraine and will continue to be there for ukraine. Well, you know, you say youve been there for ukraine, i know that youve spoken to the ukrainians many times as, indeed, hasJustin Trudeau, but i look at the message you send and compare it with that coming, for example, in recent weeks from president macron in france who has said that it is time to stop talking of red lines, he wont even rule out the possibility of sending french and western troops into ukraine, into the theatre of war. You, on the other hand, have always very explicitly said and im quoting something you said in the past i do not want to put Canadian Armed forces anywhere near that combat theatre. Listen, i was at that meeting with president macron, i think it was an important conversation for all the european and nato leaders who were at that table, and i was present as well. Were all looking for ways in which we can step up and assist ukraine more. But at the same time, i think you will note that my position is very closely aligned with your governments position with respect to the supports that we are providing to ukraine, and at the same time, we also understand the caution that many of our european and nato allies have with respect to the deployment of troops in the country, were very respectful of those concerns, and as well, we work very closely with ukraine. What i have also said is that i am quite open to deploying troops in ukraine at the right time, but in consultation with our nato allies, this is not the time and there are other ways in which we can continue to support ukraine. You talked about the arctic a moment ago. Lets talk specifically about the far north. Do you see russia and, indeed, china is hostile actors now in the arctic north, and what are you doing, if that is the case, to combat the threat you see . For canada, Arctic Sovereignty and arctic security isnt merely having a plane fly by periodically, or even a boat sail by or even a ship sail by when the ice is out. It really is about investing in a persistent presence for our military, but also, strengthening infrastructure for the people that live in our north. Thats how we maintain our sovereignty. What we have seen is far more aggressive action of our adversaries in the north. We certainly have seen this and witnessed it for some period of time, but increasingly, from russia as well, and also, were starting to see far more interventions from the peoples republic of china in the arctic as well. And i think part of it is the arctic is also, i think, an opportunity, but an important source of security on our Supply Chains for the free world, and so, we see that those could potentially be challenged by our adversaries and we have a responsibility to our allies and to our own country to be there more persistently, to be stronger, and to put the infrastructure in place, the capability and the people that are going to enable us to maintain our security. And, by the way, stephen, you spoke a little bit about the work that we do with the americans. Canada recently committed nearly 40 billion to nato modernisation, and thats going to include installations in canada by canadians spending Canadian Dollars on Arctic 0ver The Horizon and polar 0ver the horizon, installations on Arctic Satellite receiving stations, new Northern Support Hubs where we will be able to deploy our new fighterjets, our transport planes, our awacs Surveillance Fleet and even our tactical helicopters. Just to be clear about one thing. We are investing significantly in being there for our allies in the north. Right, sorry to interrupt, minister, butjust to be clear about one thing weve talked about the showdown between nato, Western Powers and russia in ukraine with all of the western assistance going to ukraine. In the past, theres always been an attempt to keep the arctic separate from other geopolitical tensions, indeed, there is this Arctic Council, which russia plays a full part in, where the effort is to get all the arctic countries to talk to each other, to get a dialogue going, which is insulated from wider geopolitical tensions. Is that era over . Is the Arctic Council effectively dead now . Stephen, its an excellent question, and i think with the advent of finland and sweden into nato, there is a responsibility. Ive been meeting this week with the nordic ambassadors to canada, but also with my colleagues, who are Defence Ministers from those countries, and so for finland, sweden, norway, iceland, denmark, the United States, and us as well, and i think the United Kingdom has a role here as well, we recognise we have a responsibility in the protection of nato. It has a northern frontier, and that is the arctic, and i agree we do not want to see that becoming a theatre of conflict, and there are a number of important diplomatic efforts, including the Arctic Council, but quite frankly that relationship has been badly shaken by russias aggressive actions, the illegal invasion of ukraine, and has cause for deep concern among the allies. We understand that in order to keep the peace in the arctic, we have to be strong in the arctic. It is one of the reasons i have turned our National Defence policy strongly towards that responsibility, and we will work very closely in collaboration obviously with the continental defence of the United States, but with the Arctic Council, and all of our nato allies, and i think it is a shared responsibility. When we are collaborative and we work together, i think we can be strong and deter that ever becoming a theatre of conflict. Briefly, if you can, does canada want to join the so called aukus group . That is australia, the uk, alongside the United States, in a special security arrangement. Now, its short term goal is to achieve cooperation on submarine technology, the idea to give australia access to that submarine technology, but in a more wide sense, it is information sharing on technology, aia new weapons systems. Does canada want to join, and how quickly . Very clear, the first Pillar Of Aukus was really about the sharing of Nuclear Technology for nuclear submarines, and canada quite frankly is in the market for conventionally powered submarines, that is what our navy requires to do the work we do, and at the same time, our five eyes partners, australia, United Kingdom and the United States are our closest allies and we work very closely together. We have had discussions with them, i have