AFTER DECADES as one of NATO’s worst laggards on military spending, Canada is changing fast. On July 8th, at the alliance’s summit in Ankara, Mark Carney, the prime minister, repeated his pledge that Canada’s defence budget would rise from a measly 1.5% of GDP in 2024 to 4% within the next two years. Recent polling suggests that more than 80% of Canadians support much higher spending on defence.That is by far the biggest defence deal in Canadian history, with a purchase cost of C$24bn ($17bn) rising to more than C$100bn once ongoing costs like maintainance are factored in.Two days before…