WASHINGTON — The U.S. undersecretary of defence says the United States is pausing a long-standing military board, saying “Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments.”
In a post on social media, Elbridge Colby says his department is pausing the Permanent Joint Board on Defense “to reassess how this forum benefits shared North American defense.”
The board was established in 1940 and is an advisory forum for U.S.-Canada bilateral defence co-operation.
Former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole called the move “profoundly misguided.”
In a post on social media, O’Toole says “Canada has been and will be an ally that shares values of liberty.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney has significantly increased Canada’s defence spending, surpassing North Atlantic Treaty Organization targets.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2026.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
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