Our Statement on “Securing Canada” Defence Spending Announcement

Today, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Candace Laing joined Prime Minister Mark Carney at the announcement of Securing Canada in Toronto.

Canada has a long and proud history of remarkable military and peacekeeping achievements around the world. From NORAD to Operation UNIFIER in Ukraine, to defeating forest fires here at home, Canada’s military personnel have stepped up and defended Canada and Canadian interests in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions.  

For years, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has understood the importance of adequately funding our military, so that the Canadian Armed Forces can defend our sovereignty and protect our interests at home and abroad. The inclusion of cyber security and year-round Canadian presence in the Arctic as key features reflects the global reality we live in. Today’s announcement of meeting our 2% target this fiscal year is a welcome change in approach, one that suggests the Government of Canada is poised to chart a new path for our defence industrial base.  

If we want to be taken seriously at the NATO and G7 Summits, this is the price of admission.  

Today’s announcement also highlights the opportunity for Canada’s resource, aerospace, innovation, and critical minerals sectors as this new defence equipment, infrastructure and advanced technology will require Canada’s world-class steel and aluminum and our vast deposits of critical minerals. 

In addition to making Canadians and Canada safer amidst rising geopolitical uncertainty, these investments signify that we are serious about securing and protecting our trade relationships and the global supply chains that we play a pivotal role in. As global threats evolve, so must we. 

The Canadian business community stands ready to support achieving this vital national mission.

• Candace Laing, President and CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce — The Future of Business Success 

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is Canada’s largest and most activated business network — representing over 400 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and more than 200,000 business of all sizes, from all sectors of the economy and from every part of the country — working to create the conditions for our collective success. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the undisputed champion and catalyst for the future of business success. From working with government on economy-friendly policy to providing services that inform commerce and enable trade, we give each of our members more of what they need to succeed: insight into markets, competitors and trends, influence over the decisions and policies that drive business success, and impact on business and economic performance.   

Media Contact

Shane Mackenzie
Vice President, Media and Stakeholder Communications
613.302.7683
smackenzie@chamber.ca