Canadian Military Spending as a Percent of GDP
This chart might come as a surprise to some Canadians. Canada’s defence spending as a percentage of GDP has decreased since 2009 and is...
Is Canada Pulling Its Weight in NATO?
When NATO’s military commander, General Philip Breedlove, visited Ottawa this week, he noted that Canada was one of the first countries...
The Truth About Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan
Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan officially ends this month. It began in 2001 with the dispatch of a small number of special...
There Is More to Foreign Policy than Trade
The problem with Canada’s new Global Markets Action Plan is not that it seeks to promote Canadian commercial interests in foreign markets...
Ready for Another Great Season at CIPS
We’ve been working hard to prepare an excellent series of fall events at CIPS. Here are a few highlights: Next week, CIPS will present...
A Response to Deepak Ohbrai on Digital Diplomacy
I am pleased that Deepak Ohbrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has responded to my recent writing on...
A Not-So-New Foreign Policy Plan
The Harper government’s “secret” foreign policy plan, revealed by the CBC today, offers few surprises. Its emphasis on pursuing economic...
John Baird: The Next Minister of National Defence?
I don’t normally follow Canadian politics closely enough to play the parlour game of predicting the winners and losers of the next...
Don’t Blame Obama for ‘Losing’ Canada
Derek Burney and Fen Osler Hampson have well-deserved reputations as level-headed observers of Canada-U.S. relations. How, then, did they...
The Engaged Academic: Why the Old Ivory Tower Won’t Stand
The latest issue of the journal Perspectives on Politics, published by Cambridge University Press, includes an important article by Lisa...
Going Along to Get Along? Canada Soft-Pedals Russia’s Role in Syria
Why is Canada giving Russia an easy ride on Syria? Moscow has been running diplomatic interference for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad...
Stronger Diplomatic Action?
In the aftermath of the terrible murder of over 100 people in Houla, Syria, including dozens of children, Canada’s foreign minister John...
Another Great Season at CIPS
After several years of strategic hiring, the University of Ottawa now houses a very strong group of international affairs experts across...
Two Priorities for the Canadian Forces
How should we define the priorities of the Canadian Forces? Steve Saideman raises this question in his latest post. In my view, the CF...
Foreign Policy Is Not Just Defence
I welcome the opportunity to kick off this series on the future of the Canadian Forces (CF), not least because the series invites a...