Mutual interests.
I suspect Canada is dramatically underfunding its navy. If Russia is aggressive in the future, in the Arctic, it matters. Canada relies on American assistance, and catches cold when America coughs. But Trump was a fickle partner. I have little knowledge of the relative strength of military forces hence the ask.
I don’t know how our government expects to pay for big military improvements while expanding dental and pharmacy coverage. Deficits are better when interest rates are low.
Of course interest rate are actually still low. Just not historically low like they were for 13 years.
Should Canada beef up its Navy?
I don’t know. Maybe build a few more subs, quiet ones designed to work mainly in the Artic?
Would they want to build a small carrier to carry some F-35s, Drones and Copters? Canada can’t really project power so is mainly a defensive Navy. I’m thinking Subs and fast frigates is the way to go and some more long range bombers to help defend coastal waters.
Canada has a long standing problem with procurement. It tends (to my amateur vision) to prioritize dividing projects, for political reasons, between two or three big companies vast distances from each other, hugely increasing costs. Things might take decades to happen and cost quadruple the originally stated cost. While these problems are not unique to Canada, they seem reluctant to buy proven technologies from other countries. There are things to be said for supporting domestic industry and innovation, but one rarely hears experts say they did a great job of addressing the many needs - and there is great difference on what these are. At the moment, they are claiming that they will take them more seriously.