Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Mark Carney says Canada is too dependent on the United States for defence, so he has announced that Ottawa will boost military spending to meet NATO’s target of 2 per cent of GDP this fiscal year – five years ahead of schedule.
After the Prime Minister’s announcement today, government officials said Ottawa is increasing the 2025-26 allocation for the Department of National Defence by $9.3-billion.
Steven Chase reports that the new money doesn’t include defence-related spending in other departments, but it pushes total defence expenditures to $62.7-billion for 2025-26, which equals 2 per cent of Canada’s GDP, the government said.
But even as Carney detailed plans to meet the NATO target, he appeared to push back against a new campaign among alliance members to raise that target to 3.5 per cent or even 5 per cent.
“Our fundamental goal in all of this is to protect Canadians, not to satisfy NATO accountants,” he said.
Also today, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would attend the G7 summit next week in Kananaskis, Alta.
Sheinbaum is one of several world leaders invited to the summit by Carney who are not part of the Group of Seven.
She said her team is working to set up bilateral meetings with G7 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump.
Mexico and Canada have both been targets of Trump’s punishing tariffs, and the three countries are set to begin renegotiating the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade next year.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, centre, stands with Minister of National Defence David McGuinty, left, as he talks to service personnel following an announcement at Fort York Armoury in Toronto on June 9, 2025.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
National Defence to set up civilian-military panels to discipline members accused of inappropriate conduct: Former defence minister Bill Blair confirmed to The Globe and Mail that he signed off on the new disciplinary measures just before the March 23 election call.
National Holocaust Monument vandalized with `FEED ME’ in red paint: The co-chair of the monument committee says the act of vandalism at the monument in Ottawa is an antisemitic attack.
Tourism sector sees surge in domestic bookings despite drop in U.S. visitors: Canadian vacationers boycotting the U.S. could net this country’s tourism sector as much as $8.8-billion in extra business this year as travellers explore spots closer to home, according to a Conference Board of Canada report.
Yukon aims to link its power grid to B.C. in push for North American energy security: The head of the territory’s development corporation says Canada’s renewed push for Arctic sovereignty and energy security puts a $2-billion-plus proposal to link Yukon’s electricity grid to British Columbia’s in the realm of nation-building projects.
Canada has `ambition deficit’ and regulations scaring away investment, says Sabia: Former deputy finance minister Michael Sabia, now chief executive officer of Hydro-Québec, says Canada has long lacked the willpower and grandiose thinking needed to spur national projects. He believes this must change quickly in order to transform the country’s economy.
U.S. envoy says Canadians facing device searches, detainment at border `not a pattern’: “Coming to the U.S., that’s a decision for the Canadians to make. Searching devices and all of that is not a well-founded fear. We don’t do that. America is a welcoming place,” said Pete Hoekstra.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: In Toronto, Mark Carney made an announcement on defence and security and toured a military facility. Later, he held a news conference.
Party Leaders: Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet continued a tour of the Magdalen Islands. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a news conference on Parliament Hill. No schedule available for other party leaders.
Horgan memoir: Former B.C. premier John Horgan died last November but will be telling his own story this October in a new memoir from Harbour publishing in British Columbia. Harbour announced the project today in its fall catalogue. John Horgan, In His Own Words by John Horgan, with Rod Mickleburgh, is told in what the publisher describes as Horgan’s “unmistakable voice.” Former Globe and Mail journalist Mickleburgh held the pen as Horgan told the story, including his years as premier, from 2017 to 2022.
Quote of the day:
“If you wait until everybody agrees on everything, nothing will happen. You’re never going to be able to get everybody to agree on every single project.” – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, at a Parliament Hill news conference today, on whether consensus is required to develop pipeline projects.
Question period
When did NATO commit to having each member spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
The problem with politicians’ pet projects
Canada’s productivity decline has many causes, but one of the most obvious is the penchant of governments to subsidize favoured industries rather than undertake the less glamorous work of tearing down barriers to private sector investment. A regulatory fast lane for pet projects is just a new spin on that tired and failed approach.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
Annual G7 summits are important. So why aren’t Canadian summits a thing?
Recent prime ministers have avoided first ministers’ conferences on the grounds that premiers are sometimes balky and unpleasant. Of course, the same might be said about U.S. President Donald Trump – yet the G7 summit carries on. Critics of recent federal practice complain that the demise of first ministers’ conferences has “weakened our ability to forge a national consensus on important issues.” These critics are right.
— Alasdair Roberts is a professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is author of The Adaptable Country: How Canada Can Survive the Twenty-First Century.
The criminal-justice system keeps failing sexual-assault survivors. There has to be a better way
No matter the outcome of the Hockey Canada trial, nobody should see it as a showcase for an ideal way to meaningfully address sexual violence. We should, however, see it as a catalyst for considering how to respond to it better.
— Deepa Mattoo is the executive director of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. Pam Hrick is the executive director and general counsel of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF).
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops
- Take a look at the history of immigration reporting and great political scandals from A Nation’s Paper, a book about The Globe and Mail’s role in Canadian history
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The answer to today’s question: NATO defence ministers agreed to the 2-per-cent commitment in 2006, according to an alliance overview on funding. It was endorsed by NATO heads of state and government in 2014.