Mark Carney just announced an immediate massive increase in military spending. Please take a minute to tell Carney and the opposition parties to reject greater spending on warfare.

Carney just announced your government will massively increase military spending. Ottawa will immediately add $9 billion to a military budget that has already doubled over the past decade. By comparison the Coalition for Healthy School Food says a national school lunch program would cost about $2.7 billion a year.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Canada is currently ranked 16th highest in the world for military spending and for arms exports. Carney’s plan to militarize the economy will mean greater weapons production and spiralling procurement costs.

This week the Auditor General concluded that Canada’s F-35 fighter jet purchase would cost 50% more than previously estimated. The new $28 billion estimate means the lifecycle cost of the new fighter jets is likely to top $100 billion.

These fossil fuel-powered weapon systems will exacerbate the climate crisis. With wildfires burning out of control and more Canadians living in tents, higher military spending will not make communities safer and more secure. These expenditures will undermine investments in public wellbeing.

Reverse course Mr. Carney. Invest in Canadians’ well-being not the war machine.