Blair defends the slow pace of Canada’s defence spending, says some allies have it easier [Video]

Reaching NATO’s defence spending benchmark isn’t about showing up at your local military trade show with a credit card and buying “a whole bunch of stuff,” Defence Minister Bill Blair said Friday following the conclusion of the alliance’s Washington summit.

In an interview with CBC News, he also suggested some allies have it easier than Canada does when it comes to hitting that target.

The Liberal government took a political beating this week from U.S. lawmakers — mostly congressional Republicans — and business community representatives who criticized and questioned Canada’s defence spending plans and its efforts to meet NATO’s goal of setting aside two per cent of members’ gross domestic product for defence.

Blair defended the government’s reluctance to publicly set a date for meeting the NATO spending target — a target most NATO allies already have reached.

As the NATO leaders’ summit wrapped up in Washington, Prime Minister Justin …