Federal budget’s funding boost for defence spread out over multiple years [Video]

The new federal budget promises good things will happen at the Department of National Defence … next year, and hopefully in the years after.

The new fiscal plan, presented Tuesday by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, marks a subtle but significant shift from what was proposed in last week’s long-awaited defence policy, which committed to spending an additional $8.1 billion on defence.

The funding envelope in the budget earmarks the same amount but includes not only the defence department but proposed spending on both the Communications Security Establishment — the country’s electronic spy agency — and Global Affairs Canada.

While the overall defence budget is expected to increase marginally in the current fiscal year to $33.8 billion, the internal cost-cutting exercise ordered by the Liberal government means the military can expect roughly $635 million less than what had been forecast in the 2023 federal budget.

Freeland’s fiscal plan projects a 30 …