Now that the two parties with the only chance of forming the next government have finally released costed platforms, it’s possible to reach a conclusion about their commitment to spending 2 per cent of gross domestic product on national defence, the current goal set for all NATO members.

The conclusion? Neither intends to reach it. Not over the next four fiscal years, and perhaps not even by 2030, the arbitrary deadline Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre both set in their platforms.

Worse yet, that 2-per-cent figure is about to rise, which means the next prime minister of Canada is going to look rather ridiculous when he fails to meet a target that is no longer relevant.

NATO heads of state first agreed to the 2-per-cent goal in 2014, after Russia invaded Crimea. Since then, Russia has launched a second and far more

© The Globe and Mail