Canada has unveiled a comprehensive national security strategy aimed at protecting its economy and modernizing its military in response to growing global instability. The framework, released on Thursday, outlines a multibillion-dollar expansion of defence capabilities, intelligence modernization, and a nuanced approach to relations with the United States. Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized that the strategy is essential for safeguarding Canada's sovereignty in an increasingly dangerous world.
The plan includes significant increases in defence spending, with the government committing to allocate more than $163 billion toward the military by midway through the next decade. Additionally, the strategy pledges to strengthen intelligence-gathering capabilities and prepare for all contingencies, including war. Carney highlighted the need for secure access to critical technologies such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and clean energy.
While the strategy does not name specific countries as threats, it commits to a cooperative yet clear-eyed relationship with the United States. The plan also addresses public safety concerns, including criminal and national security threats, though it does not explicitly mention foreign interference by China. The creation of a foreign intelligence service, similar to the CIA or MI6, remains under consideration but has not been decided upon.
Critics from the federal Conservatives dismissed the strategy as lacking substance, with Michelle Rempel Garner describing it as thin and lacking detailed plans. Security expert Wesley Wark, however, called the plan ambitious, noting that it will require significant financial investment and institutional changes over several years.