Perhaps Canada should be spending less, but smarter on defence. What will NATO and Trump do if Ottawa fails to meet the five per cent target? Spain has drawn its line at two per cent, but no one is proposing to expel Madrid from the group.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, pictured on the Hill on March 12, 2026. Carney’s bold defence procurement of diversification is essentially an industrial strategy, writes Nelson Wiseman. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

TORONTO—Men tend to be more supportive of military action than women. Militaries, dominated by men the world over, crave the most powerful and lethal weapons. Women are more willing to pursue negotiations and consider other possibilities as alternatives to military conflict. Polling on military issues consistently reflects this yin/yang dynamic.