Canada’s new Defence Policy to be unveiled
On 7 June 2017, Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan and Transport Minister Marc Garneau will announce Canada’s new Defence Policy.
This Policy is the culmination of extensive review effort by the Liberal Government to formalize Canada's defence priorities. Between April and July 2016, the Defence Department engaged Canadians, industry, allies, partners, parliamentarians, and key stakeholders to discuss three fundamental areas:
- The main challenges to Canada’s security
- The role of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in addressing current threats and challenges
- The resources and capabilities needed to carry out the CAF mandate
The industrial sector has been anxiously awaiting release of this new Defence Policy so that individual companies can determine if their corporate direction will mesh with the national interests of Canada – particularly the defence and security requirements going forward.
DND received almost 20,200 submissions to its Defence Policy Review online consultation portal and over 4,700 participants contributed comments and votes using the online discussion forum. The Department and parliamentarians also undertook in-person discussions, roundtables and meetings with defence experts, industry representatives, academia, indigenous leaders, and international allies and partners.
As one analyst wrote in FrontLine Defence, the defence policy review should "question force structure fundamentals and […] define a new architecture or support the existing one. It is not just about procurement but involves a full assessment of our country’s assets." Ferry de Kerckhove went on to suggest the review focus on a "coherent assessment of envisioned threats and challenges" and on requirements to assure the security of citizens.
After analyzing all input received from these consultations, the government has prepared Canada’s defence policy, the first since the 2008 Canada First Defence Strategy (CFDS).
