Politics

Ottawa will pour billions into defence, Arctic development and nation-building, all the while facing off against power-hungry premiers. Outlandish deepfakes, meanwhile, will become a mainstay on social media.

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1 The Military Will Prep for an Arctic Incursion...

Canada’s military is finally treating the Arctic like the wild frontier it is: strategically positioned, resource-rich and increasingly crowded. China is coveting the North’s vast deposits of copper, nickel, lithium and cobalt, while melting sea ice is opening new shipping lanes through the Northwest Passage, giving Chinese submarines and research vessels (a.k.a. spy ships) new routes through Canadian waters. (Russia, too, is known to deploy “ghost” ships to snoop.) Canada is gearing up with new helicopters, rapid-response navy capabilities and a joint project with Australia to build a next-gen Arctic radar system.

2 ...While Carney Will Invest Billions in Defence

If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that our relationship with our southern neighbour is nowhere near as friendly as we thought it was. Our false sense of security has put us way behind on our NATO-prescribed military spending. In June, Mark Carney, alongside all other NATO nations, pledged to devote at least five per cent of the national GDP to defence by 2035—and his first federal budget is a strong start, boosting military spending by $84 billion over five years, the largest line item outside of infrastructure and productivity investments. On the shopping list: new armoured vehicles, drone-tech improvements and cyberdefence infrastructure, along with funds for recruiting personnel and expanding Canada’s defence industry.

3 Nation-Building Will Commence