Can you spend $9B on Defence without lighting it on fire?

We certainly hope so!

PM Mark Carney has committed to meeting NATO’s 2% target this year, nearly a decade ahead of Trudeau’s original pledge. That’s over $9 billion in new spending—including raises for CAF members, $2B in military aid to Ukraine, and major procurement commitments. But can it all be spent wisely?

In this episode of Craft Politics:

• 🇨🇦 Why this announcement matters—and why it hits close to home for me

• 💸 The risks of rushing defence procurement (and why it’s rarely done well)

• 🇬🇧 What the UK’s new Strategic Defence Review signals for joint defence priorities

• 🤝 Why now might be the right time for a Canada–UK security compact

Plus:

• 🧨 Labour’s massive U-turn on winter fuel benefits: smart politics or panic move?

• 🎯 Is there still room in politics for a sensible, fiscally responsible conservative party?

• 🇺🇸 Trump sends the Marines to California—why it may be a turning point. Or not.

• 📉 Canada’s jobless rate rises—are we seeing the limits of the Carney honeymoon?