Prime Minister Mark Carney launches national security plan focused on sovereignty and resilience

Prime Minister Mark Carney launched The Plan for a Stronger Canada on Thursday, presenting it as the country’s first national security strategy in more than 20 years. The government says it responds to a rapidly changing world, an eroding rules-based international order and evolving threats to Canadian sovereignty, including cyberattacks and the weaponization of trade deals. It argues that economic and national security are now inseparable, and that sovereignty depends on economic strength, resilient institutions and partnerships with allies.

The plan brings together work that has guided the government’s domestic and foreign policy over the past year and a half. It defines Canada’s core national interests and sets a whole-of-government approach linking economic strength, foreign policy, defence and intelligence capabilities, and public safety initiatives. Its aim is to build the country’s capacity to withstand external pressure and focus on what the government can control.

The strategy sets out five priorities:

1. **Strengthen economic security and resilience against threats.** The government says Canada will transform strategic industries through major investments, secure supply chains, maximize energy security and invest in Canadian innovation. The goal is to reinforce economic sovereignty in key sectors and position Canada as an important player in the global economy.

2. **Advance a disciplined foreign policy that diversifies partnerships and builds strategic capabilities.** The plan says no country can manage these challenges alone. Its stated goal is to support Canadian strategic autonomy and resilience through deep cooperation with like-minded partners across a range of strategic capabilities. Canada is diversifying trade, strengthening partnerships and building new ties with allies based on shared values and complementary strengths, the government says.

3. **Rebuild and strengthen the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to defend Canada and its interests.** The government says defending Canada also means building Canada. To protect sovereignty, strengthen strategic autonomy and meet NORAD and NATO targets, it is changing how it invests in defence. The plan calls for a stronger, more resilient defence industrial base able to equip, sustain and scale up the CAF. It also promises faster procurement and work with the Defence Investment Agency to deliver the Defence Industrial Strategy. Other aims include transforming the military and defence supply chain, strengthening Arctic security, and contributing to stability in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and beyond, so Canada can defend itself at home and act as a responsible ally abroad.

4. **Protect Canadians and strengthen public safety against criminal and national security threats.** The government says it will work with all levels of government, Indigenous Peoples and Northern communities to strengthen defences and resilience. It plans to intensify efforts against foreign interference, espionage, violent extremism and transnational organized crime, including sabotage, extortion, fraud, online exploitation, financial crime, money laundering and sanctions evasion. The plan also pledges to protect Canadians and institutions from foreign information manipulation.

5. **Modernize intelligence capabilities to anticipate and counter emerging threats.** The government says collecting, analysing and using intelligence with partners helps Canada prepare for emerging threats. It plans to strengthen sovereign intelligence capabilities, deepen and diversify intelligence partnerships, and modernize the intelligence enterprise by updating authorities to reflect evolving threats and technology while safeguarding Canadians’ rights.

The plan says the new government is building the strength to protect Canada’s sovereignty, the resilience to respond to emerging threats and partnerships to advance its interests. It says investments in economic security, defence capabilities and institutions will give Canada tools to protect Canadians, defend core national interests and shape its future. In a more dangerous and divided world, the government says Canada will act with greater independence, determination and ambition toward a safer, stronger and more prosperous future.

Carney said Canada needs the capacity to defend its sovereignty, withstand emerging threats and shape its future, and that the plan will build that strength so people can live as they choose. Defence Minister David J. McGuinty said the whole-of-government plan will protect Canadians, defend sovereignty, strengthen the economy and build capabilities for current and future challenges. He said investments in the military, intelligence, economic security, critical infrastructure and other national capabilities will improve Canada’s ability to defend its interests, act decisively and contribute to continental and collective defence.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said events beyond Canada’s borders increasingly shape its security and prosperity, making it necessary to defend sovereignty, advance national interests and deepen cooperation with trusted partners. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said sovereignty depends on a country’s ability to protect and defend itself. He said the plan would safeguard Canadians and democratic institutions and build resilience against evolving threats at home and abroad.

Industry Minister and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions Mélanie Joly said Canada must be ready to respond to economic threats and seize opportunities in an unpredictable global economy. The government is acting to help Canadian businesses reduce vulnerabilities and become more competitive, she said, by building a stronger domestic economy and deepening industrial partnerships around the world. Joly said the plan would strengthen strategic industries and critical supply chains, protect Canadian jobs and economic interests, and support a more secure and prosperous future.

**Next steps and background**

Carney will convene a First Ministers’ Meeting on national security to improve coordination among federal, provincial and territorial governments. Budget 2025 provided $10.9 billion over five years to upgrade digital infrastructure across the Department of National Defence, the CAF and Communications Security Establishment Canada. The government says the investment will provide secure, resilient platforms and significantly improve cyber-defence capabilities in response to a more complex and persistent threat environment.

Within the plan’s first year, the federal government will bring forward proposals to modernize national security legislation. The government says it will update the plan at least every four years.