It's partisan nonsense. Apparently right leaning parties are excused when they don't meet targets. Left leaning parties are never excused. And when one does (this one) the goalposts are moved to some foreboding about the future.
This shit has been going on forever:
It's damn nice to have a government trying to meet 2% immediately. And beyond that this government is taking national security more seriously across the board. First time ever I've seen serious discussions and actual staff effort on bigger issues like mobilization, defence of critical infrastructure, building critical stockpiles, identifying strategic gaps (right up to legislation), integrating all of government during escalation, how to mobilize society, industry, etc. I have literally never heard most of this discussed in my career. Let alone staff work and wargaming across government departments.
If Carney delivers on 25% of all the work going on, he'll never have to buy a beer in the vicinity of any base again. That's the level of staff work being pushed through.