Saturday, May 27, 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • Media
Support Us
Macdonald-Laurier Institute
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Who Makes MLI Work
    • Tenth Anniversary
  • Experts
    • Experts Directory
    • In Memoriam
  • Issues
    • Domestic Policy Program
      • Agriculture and Agri-Food
      • Canada’s Political Tradition
      • Economic policy
      • Health Care
      • Innovation
      • Justice
      • Social issues
      • Telecoms
    • Energy Policy Program
      • Energy
      • Environment
    • Foreign Policy Program
      • Foreign Affairs
      • National Defence
      • National Security
    • Indigenous Affairs Program
  • Projects
    • The Great Energy Crisis
    • Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad
    • Dragon at the Door
    • The Eavesdropping Dragon: Huawei
    • Canada and the Indo-Pacific Initiative
    • The Transatlantic Program
    • DisInfoWatch.org
    • An Intellectual Property Strategy for Canada
    • Competition Policy in Canada
    • Speak for Ourselves
    • Justice Report Card
    • COVID Misery Index
      • Provincial COVID Misery Index
      • Beyond Lockdown
      • COVID and after: A mandate for recovery
    • Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads
      • Aboriginal Canada and Natural Resources
    • Past Projects
      • Talkin’ in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi
      • Munk Senior Fellows
      • A Mandate for Canada
      • Confederation Series
      • Fiscal Reform
      • The Canadian Century project
      • Fixing Canadian health care
      • Internal trade
      • From a mandate for change
      • Size of government in Canada
      • Straight Talk
      • Labour Market Report
      • Leading Economic Indicator
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
      • MLI Dinners
      • Great Canadian Debates
  • Latest News
  • Libraries
    • Inside Policy Magazine
      • Inside Policy Online
      • Inside Policy Back Issues
    • Papers
    • Commentary
    • Columns
    • Books
    • Video
    • Podcasts
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Who Makes MLI Work
    • Tenth Anniversary
  • Experts
    • Experts Directory
    • In Memoriam
  • Issues
    • Domestic Policy Program
      • Agriculture and Agri-Food
      • Canada’s Political Tradition
      • Economic policy
      • Health Care
      • Innovation
      • Justice
      • Social issues
      • Telecoms
    • Energy Policy Program
      • Energy
      • Environment
    • Foreign Policy Program
      • Foreign Affairs
      • National Defence
      • National Security
    • Indigenous Affairs Program
  • Projects
    • The Great Energy Crisis
    • Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad
    • Dragon at the Door
    • The Eavesdropping Dragon: Huawei
    • Canada and the Indo-Pacific Initiative
    • The Transatlantic Program
    • DisInfoWatch.org
    • An Intellectual Property Strategy for Canada
    • Competition Policy in Canada
    • Speak for Ourselves
    • Justice Report Card
    • COVID Misery Index
      • Provincial COVID Misery Index
      • Beyond Lockdown
      • COVID and after: A mandate for recovery
    • Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads
      • Aboriginal Canada and Natural Resources
    • Past Projects
      • Talkin’ in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi
      • Munk Senior Fellows
      • A Mandate for Canada
      • Confederation Series
      • Fiscal Reform
      • The Canadian Century project
      • Fixing Canadian health care
      • Internal trade
      • From a mandate for change
      • Size of government in Canada
      • Straight Talk
      • Labour Market Report
      • Leading Economic Indicator
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
      • MLI Dinners
      • Great Canadian Debates
  • Latest News
  • Libraries
    • Inside Policy Magazine
      • Inside Policy Online
      • Inside Policy Back Issues
    • Papers
    • Commentary
    • Columns
    • Books
    • Video
    • Podcasts
No Result
View All Result
Macdonald-Laurier Institute

Canada should remain in the arms business, but tighten the rules: New MLI Commentary

May 14, 2021
in Christian Leuprecht, Commentary, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy Program, Latest News, National Defence, Releases
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A

OTTAWA, ON (May 14, 2021):  Recent calls to limit Canada’s defence exports ignore important realities, including the major contribution our domestic arms industry makes to our defence and national security, to innovation and to jobs and the economy. In 2018, the Canadian defence industry contributed over $7 billion in GDP and generated almost 64,000 jobs across Canada.

But as MLI Senior Fellow Christian Leuprecht argues, that does not mean we should not have high standards and careful processes for deciding who can buy Canadian arms and under what conditions.

In a new MLI commentary titled “Understanding the role of weapon exports in Canadian foreign policy,” Leuprecht delves into how Canada engages in weapon and equipment exports. The author argues Canada should strive to be a leader in technological innovation when it comes to defence, which is the foundation of a vibrant and robust approach to national security.

Canada’s security and defence spending remains too modest and its procurement system too cumbersome to sustain a domestic security and defence industry. As a result, Canada must continue to work with international partners, including by contributing to defence supply chains. Canada has domestic, global and security interests at stake, and its prosperity depends not only on the ability to assert its interests, but to nurture a high-tech security and defence industry that can protect those interests.

Leuprecht also recommends a realistic outlook on what a fundamental change to Canada’s approach to arms exports could achieve. While Canada could throttle or cease arms sales, it would simply have no impact on the global arms trade. Instead, it would only drive purchasers to acquire services, technology, and arms from less scrupulous suppliers such as Russia. As Canada is also obligated to contribute to the security and defence of its allies and partners, it must maintain the capacity to do so via participation in global defence supply chains.

According to Leuprecht, “weapon exports are an instrument of foreign policy. They, and the conditions Canada attaches to their end use, give Canada some leverage.”

However, he also urges a cautious approach. The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has revealed Turkey’s willingness to leverage Canadian-supplied equipment to destroy the status quo of the previously frozen conflict. That raises the spectre that Canadian defence technology could be used for purposes that may run counter to Canada’s and NATO’s interests.

Throughout 2020, Turkey had lobbied the Canadian government to issue an export control licence (ECL). At the time, arms exports to Turkey had been heavily scrutinized following Turkey’s incursion into northern Syria. Additionally, Turkey had been vocal in encouraging Azerbaijan to change the status quo by military means and offered support. Yet, in April 2020, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs exercised discretion in approving the permit anyways.

As Leuprecht concludes, “Canada is no longer immune from sophisticated threats in a challenging world. Canada will be paying a very high price if it fails to pay attention.”

To learn more about the role of weapon exports in Canadian foreign policy, click the button below.

***
Christian Leuprecht is Class of 1965 Professor in leadership at the Royal Military College and Queen’s University, and Munk Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

For more information, media are invited to contact:

Brett Byers
Communications and Digital Media Manager
613-482-8327 x105
brett.byers@macdonaldlaurier.ca

Tags: christian leuprechtCommentaryForeign Affairsforeign policynational defence
Previous Post

Hamas’ use of human shields is a war crime: Sarah Teich in the Toronto Sun

Next Post

Webinar Panel Video: Beyond Pearson – Defining the Canadian Interest in the Middle East & Red Sea

Related Posts

Inquiry or not, foreign interference in Canada’s elections is part of a new Cold War that we cannot hide from: Brian Lee Crowley in the Globe and Mail
Columns

Inquiry or not, foreign interference in Canada’s elections is part of a new Cold War that we cannot hide from: Brian Lee Crowley in the Globe and Mail

May 27, 2023
Don’t blame Indigenous people for Calgary cancelling July 1st fireworks: Melissa Mbarki in the National Post
Columns

Don’t blame Indigenous people for Calgary cancelling July 1st fireworks: Melissa Mbarki in the National Post

May 25, 2023
Canada Must Recognize Iran’s Role in Gaza Terror: Tzvi Kahn for Inside Policy
Inside Policy

Canada Must Recognize Iran’s Role in Gaza Terror: Tzvi Kahn for Inside Policy

May 25, 2023
Next Post

Webinar Panel Video: Beyond Pearson - Defining the Canadian Interest in the Middle East & Red Sea

Newsletter Signup

Follow us on

Macdonald-Laurier Institute

323 Chapel Street, Suite #300
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 7Z2 Canada

613.482.8327

info@macdonaldlaurier.ca
MLI directory

Support Us

Support the Macdonald-Laurier Institute to help ensure that Canada is one of the best governed countries in the world. Click below to learn more or become a sponsor.

Support Us

  • Inside Policy Magazine
  • Annual Reports
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy

© 2021 Macdonald-Laurier Institute. All Rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Who Makes MLI Work
    • Tenth Anniversary
  • Experts
    • Experts Directory
    • In Memoriam
  • Issues
    • Domestic Policy Program
      • Agriculture and Agri-Food
      • Canada’s Political Tradition
      • Economic policy
      • Health Care
      • Innovation
      • Justice
      • Social issues
      • Telecoms
    • Energy Policy Program
      • Energy
      • Environment
    • Foreign Policy Program
      • Foreign Affairs
      • National Defence
      • National Security
    • Indigenous Affairs Program
  • Projects
    • The Great Energy Crisis
    • Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad
    • Dragon at the Door
    • The Eavesdropping Dragon: Huawei
    • Canada and the Indo-Pacific Initiative
    • The Transatlantic Program
    • DisInfoWatch.org
    • An Intellectual Property Strategy for Canada
    • Competition Policy in Canada
    • Speak for Ourselves
    • Justice Report Card
    • COVID Misery Index
      • Provincial COVID Misery Index
      • Beyond Lockdown
      • COVID and after: A mandate for recovery
    • Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads
      • Aboriginal Canada and Natural Resources
    • Past Projects
      • Talkin’ in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi
      • Munk Senior Fellows
      • A Mandate for Canada
      • Confederation Series
      • Fiscal Reform
      • The Canadian Century project
      • Fixing Canadian health care
      • Internal trade
      • From a mandate for change
      • Size of government in Canada
      • Straight Talk
      • Labour Market Report
      • Leading Economic Indicator
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
      • MLI Dinners
      • Great Canadian Debates
  • Latest News
  • Libraries
    • Inside Policy Magazine
      • Inside Policy Online
      • Inside Policy Back Issues
    • Papers
    • Commentary
    • Columns
    • Books
    • Video
    • Podcasts

© 2021 Macdonald-Laurier Institute. All Rights reserved.