Issue
National Security
Federal national-security framework under the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act (CSIS Act), the Security of Information Act, the Communications Security Establishment Act, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act, and the Avoiding Complicity in Mistreatment by Foreign Entities Act. Bill C-70 of 2024 (the Countering Foreign Interference Act, royal assent June 20, 2024) was Canada's largest national-security reform in a decade, creating the Foreign Influence Transparency Registry. Cybersecurity: Bill C-26 of 44-1 stalled over civil-liberties concerns about ministerial powers; the narrower Bill C-8 of 45-1 re-introduced the Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act framework. The 2025 Hogue Commission of Inquiry into Foreign Interference's interim report and the federal cabinet's response have driven the registry rollout and the new offences. Civil-liberties tension over CSIS warrant powers continued through R. v. Re: X (Federal Court 2023) and the 'duty of candour' debate.
Where parties stand
Compare side-by-side- Bloc QuébécoisBLOC
The Bloc Québécois supports increased Canadian defence spending toward the NATO two-percent-of-GDP target only if achieved without cutting federal transfers to Quebec, defends Quebec's aerospace industry contracts under the new F-35 fleet acquisition (Pratt and Whitney Canada engine maintenance, CAE flight simulators), supports the public inquiry into foreign interference (the Hogue Commission delivered its final report in January 2025) with Quebec-specific findings, and pushes for stronger federal counter-foreign-interference legislation specifically targeting Beijing's pressure on Sino-Canadian Quebec MPs (the May 2023 Han Dong case).
Source - Conservative Party of CanadaCONSERVATIVE
The federal Conservative Party under Pierre Poilievre commits to meeting the NATO two-percent-of-GDP defence-spending threshold by 2030 (Canada currently sits at approximately 1.4 percent per NATO data), restoring funding for the Royal Canadian Navy combat surface combatant program, faster procurement of the F-35 fleet to replace the CF-18 (committed by the Liberal government in January 2023 with delivery by 2032-2034), increased Arctic-base presence including expansion of CFB Yellowknife and the new Nanisivik facility on Baffin Island, and a public inquiry into foreign interference (which the Hogue Commission delivered its final report on in January 2025).
Source The federal Green Party calls for Canada to refuse meeting the NATO two-percent-of-GDP defence-spending target if achieved by cutting social spending, supports the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW, 2017; 86 state parties; Canada has not signed), Canadian recognition of the State of Palestine alongside Israel under the two-state solution, an arms-export embargo on Saudi Arabia (Canadian arms exports to Saudi Arabia exceeded $4 billion since 2014 per Global Affairs Canada data), opposes additional federal defence-spending increases not tied to specific peacekeeping or domestic-disaster-response mandates, and supports the Hogue Commission's January 2025 final report findings on foreign interference.
Source- Liberal Party of CanadaLIBERAL
The federal Liberal Party under Mark Carney has committed to meeting the NATO two-percent-of-GDP defence-spending target by 2032 (currently at approximately 1.4 percent), purchased 88 F-35 fighter jets to replace the CF-18 fleet (January 2023, $19 billion procurement with delivery 2026-2032), launched the public inquiry into foreign interference (the Hogue Commission, final report January 2025), passed Bill C-70 (Countering Foreign Interference Act, S.C. 2024, c. 16) creating a Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act with a public registry, and committed to the new Royal Canadian Navy combatant surface vessels under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
Source The federal NDP under Jagmeet Singh supports the Hogue Commission's January 2025 final report on foreign interference and the Bill C-70 (Countering Foreign Interference Act, S.C. 2024, c. 16) implementation of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act. Calls for increased NSIRA (National Security and Intelligence Review Agency) budgetary capacity for oversight of CSIS, CSE, and RCMP national-security operations. Opposes meeting the NATO two-percent-of-GDP defence-spending target if it requires cutting social spending. Pushed for the public inquiry into foreign interference rather than the closed-doors NSICOP (National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians) initially proposed.
Source
Bills affecting this issue
- C-8Federal45-1Third reading
An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts
Requires federally regulated critical-infrastructure operators (telecom, banking, energy) to report cyber incidents and meet baseline security standards.
- C-22Federal45-1In committee
An Act respecting lawful access
Updates federal lawful-access framework for police digital investigations.
- C-12Federal45-1Royal assent
An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of Canada's borders and the integrity of the Canadian immigration system and respecting other related security measures
Border security measures.
- C-2Federal45-1Second reading
An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of the border between Canada and the United States and respecting other related security measures
Security measures relating to the Canada-US border.
- C-26-44Federal44-1Defeated
An Act respecting Cybersecurity of Critical Cyber Systems (44-1, original)
Earlier defeated cybersecurity bill (44-1 original).
- C-26Federal44-1First reading
An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts
Cyber security and Telecommunications Act amendments.
- C-70Federal44-1Royal assent
An Act respecting countering foreign interference
Creates the federal Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, including a public registry of foreign-government-directed activity.
- C-377Federal44-1In committee
An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (need to know)
Lets MPs and senators apply for 'secret' security clearance to receive classified national-security briefings.
- C-34Federal44-1Royal assent
An Act to amend the Investment Canada Act
Modernizes Investment Canada Act national-security reviews. Adds mandatory pre-closing filings in sensitive sectors.
- C-331Federal44-1First reading
An Act to amend the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act (duty of candour)
Statutory duty of candour on CSIS when seeking warrants. Federal Court Re: X response.
- S-7Federal44-1First reading
An Act to amend the Customs Act and the Preclearance Act, 2016
Customs Act + Preclearance Act, 2016 amendments.
- S-237Federal44-1Second reading
An Act to establish the Foreign Influence Registry and to amend the Criminal Code
Earlier Senate version of a foreign-influence transparency registry. Stricter than the version that became C-70.