Episode
The US just paused a joint defence effort. How worried should Canada be?
- Podcast
- CanCon
- Published
- May 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1754
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Summary
You may not have heard about it, but the Permanent Joint Board on Defense has been a part of Canada and America's shared strategy for decades. Evidently, however, it may not be as "permanent" as its name suggests. Recently, the US announced it was pausing the board, citing Canada's need to contribute more to mutual defence in North America and a suggestion that we're talking the talk more than walking the walk when it comes to military spending. It's easy to take offence to that, given recent defence spending announcements from the Canadian government. It's easy to assume this is yet another poke to the eye from a US administration that exists only to troll or threaten Canada. But ... what if those claims aren't exactly wrong? What if we should perhaps, get off our high horse, this one time, when it comes to continental security? This week, Joe Varner, Senior Fellow at the MacDonald-Laurier institute, joins us to make the case for focusing on what really matters, and not the rhetoric from the White House. (We're welcoming our first sponsor to CanCon. Go RVing Canada wants to help you explore the country this summer, without leaving behind the comforts of home. If you've ever been curious about RVing, but have questions, they can help.)