I began my surgical career as a retina specialist, thanks to the generosity of my American brothers and sisters. I trained in Philadelphia at Will's Eye Hospital and I have experienced firsthand the warmth that can be found in the American people. However, concerning political shifts in American leadership have compelled me to reassess our dependencies. Acknowledging the fact that we cannot wholly rely on one nation for our defense, it seems prudent now to divert our attention towards our other allies - the Europeans, British, Australians, and New Zealanders. 

I believe it is paramount that our sovereign borders are secured and our nation is protected. To accomplish this, I propose that we lift our defence expenditure from its current level to a more prudent 2.5% of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP).

In the past decade, the average percentage of GDP allocated to defence was 1.3%. Although this marked an improvement from years gone by, it is not nearly enough. We have an obligation to secure not only our own sovereignty, but also that of other democracies under threat—like Ukraine.

Increasing our defence spend to 2.5% of GDP will provide needed reinforcement to our military capabilities, making Canada a stronger ally and partner to democratic countries worldwide. Furthermore, a stronger defence will present us not as benign bystanders but as active protectors of democracy.

As fellow Canadians, let's push for this change and make our country more secure, while aiding democratic nations in need. Please, sign this petition to show your support for increasing Canada's defence expenditure to protect our identity and sovereignty.