We can afford far more than we spend on defence, it is a matter of choice.  Not helping in terms of effectiveness of what we do spend is maladroit procurement practices.  Perhaps we can pick up our game in that area.

As for calling into question NATO's commitment to Article 5, I have often mused as to whether or not Canada would go to the wall for Estonia or Bulgaria.  I somehow doubt it.  Good job Ukraine was not a member of NATO or we would see revealed for the world how many countries would do so in order to recover the Crimea from Russia.

As for the 2%, it was a desperate attempt by the US to get deadbeat alliance members to meet their bold commitments.  Canada was and is Exhibit A.  We signed up for NATO and we signed up to properly fund the CAF.  Perhaps we should prove to the world that our word is our bond in this regard.  It'll encourage everyone that we're 'on it' with regard to climate change commitments (for sure this time, not like the other times...).