Indigenous defence procurement must be more than a policy line – Policy Options
May 26, 2026
Canada’s defence buildup needs Indigenous suppliers treated as long-term manufacturing partners, not procurement targets.
Canada’s defence budget has never been larger. The federal government has committed $63 billion for defence since last June — the largest year-over-year increase in generations. A further $50 billion will be allocated over the next year.
Alongside those numbers sits a policy commitment that is, on its own, unremarkable: at least five per cent of federal contracts should go to Indigenous businesses.
What is remarkable is how rarely anyone asks what that actually means.
Read More: https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2026/05/indigenous-defence-procurement/
