Quebec premier wants to discuss military spending investments

Quebec Premier François Legault says he wants to discuss military investments during this week’s Council of the Federation meeting in Ontario with his provincial counterparts and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The prime minister has already announced an additional $9 billion in military spending this year, committing Canada to spending five per cent of its GDP - the new NATO target - on defence by 2035.

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To reach this goal, the federal government would have to spend nearly $150 billion a year by 10 years’ time.

Legault says he wants to ensure that Quebec gets its fair share of contracts related to military spending, particularly in aeronautics, ships, critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI).

In recent months, Legault has also undertaken two economic missions to Europe, to Germany and France, to promote Quebec’s comparative advantages in the field.

Faced with hostility by the United States, the European Union says it wants to invest a colossal sum of 800 billion euros (CAN $1.276 trillion) to rearm itself.

Tariff war

Officials insist increased federal military spending will stimulate the Canadian economy and reduce Canada’s dependence on the U.S. in the context of a tariff war.

This week’s meeting comes almost two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose new 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports as early as Aug. 1.

The tariff war is likely to occupy a large part of the discussions between the political leaders.

“This meeting will be an opportunity to work together on ways to respond to President Trump’s latest threat and realize the full potential of the Canadian economy,” Ontario Premier and Chairman of the Council of the Federation Doug Ford said in a statement.

The premiers are set to meet with Carney on Tuesday to review trade negotiations with the United States.

The premiers say they plan to also discuss energy, national sovereignty, national security, domestic and international trade, labour mobility, health and immigration.

The Council of the Federation is being held in Huntsville, in Ontario’s Muskoka region, until Wednesday.

– This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 21, 2025.