Defence spending targets are only half the challenge facing Canada

In recent years, Canada’s foreign policy has been heavy on the articulation of values, but light on the material commitments needed to advance and defend them.

The seeds of a renewed and more ambitious Canadian strategic culture may already have been sown by our new prime minister, Mark Carney, in several recent assertions and decisions, writes William Richardson. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY WILLIAM RICHARDSON

August 13, 2025

What do the two words “national defence” really mean in Canada? What are our core values and vital interests today, and how can we invest responsibly in their promotion and protection going forward? These are core questions for all Canadians to debate. They speak to the ...

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