Canada’s Arctic will be a ‘tremendous vulnerability,’ Bannon says
Steve Bannon says Canada does not have the military might or stomach to protect its Arctic interests.
At the America's biggest annual Republican gathering, Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to Donald Trump, is hosting his War Room talk show from the sidelines of the Conservative Political Action Convention.
Dozens of people surrounded his CPAC set to watch his broadcast and to snap selfies with the man who helped first install Trump in the Oval Office in 2016.
His show included chats with supporters of Hungary's ultranationalist leader Victor Orban and "J6ers," whom he heralded as heroes for participating in the 2021 Capitol riots. When the 71-year-old got off stage, he heaped praise on the president's machinations to annex Canada.
"For (Trump) to even mention that, and to have the American people say, 'Hey, this is something we really like,' Canadians should take that as the greatest compliment you've ever had," Bannon said in an interview with CTV News.
Bannon believes that the next geopolitical battle will be fought over Canada's Arctic and the vast trove of natural resources and critical minerals that lie under its melting ice.
"What used to be Canada's most secure border – the Arctic North – you're going to have tremendous vulnerability there. … Russia is up there. The Chinese Communist Party is up there."
Since Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, the President has said he will ask NATO members to spend five per cent of their GDP on defence. Canada currently spends 1.37 per cent, with a goal of reaching the NATO baseline commitment of two per cent by 2032.
Bannon says Canada does not have the military might or stomach to protect its Arctic interests.
"I think that's highly unlikely with the Canadian budget, unless you want to cut your health care or your education system," said Bannon. "The math does not work. You're going to have major cuts to social programs or raise taxes significantly in Canada."
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