As the global security environment of the world evolves rapidly and international alliances shift dramatically, Professors Thomas Juneau, Philippe Lagasse, and Srdjan Vucetic examine how Canada has constructed its defence policy and operational structures in the past, and highlight many of the developments in Canada’s strategies regarding procurement, the Arctic, and more. This research endeavour has sought to further study the role Canada plays in integrated defence systems internationally, but also to fill gaps in Canadian academia as security scholars and government defence thinkers have grown increasingly isolated.   The contributors examine topics including the development of Canadian defence policy and strategic culture, North American defence cooperation, gender and diversity in the Canadian military, and defence procurement and the defence industrial base. Emphasizing the process of defence policy-making, rather than just the outcomes of that process, the book focuses on how political and organizational interests impact planning, as well as the standard operating procedures that shape Canadian defence policy and practices. With two volumes already published and a third on the way, Canadian Defence Policy is an ongoing research project dedicated to examining the complex security environment of Canada, the effects of domestic politics on Canadian defence policy, and the urgent changes needed in order to stay afloat in an increasingly fractured world.

Meet the Authors

Thomas Juneau is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa, Canada. His research focuses on the Middle East, in particular Iran and Yemen, on the role of intelligence in national security and foreign policy making, on Canadian foreign and defence policy, and on international relations theory. From 2019 to 2022, he was the non-government co-chair of the National Security Transparency Advisory Group, an independent body that advises the intelligence community on how to enhance transparency in national security in Canada. From 2003 until 2014, he worked with Canada’s Department of National Defence, mostly as a policy analyst covering the Middle East.

Philippe Lagassé is an Associate Professor and Barton Chair in the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Canada. His research focuses on defence policy and military procurement, as well as civil-military relations, and the role of institutions in international policy-making in the Westminster tradition. He is also a Senior Associate Fellow with the Royal United Services Institute and a Fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Lagassé was recently a member of the Independent Review Panel for Defence Acquisition in the Department of National Defence, and previously a member of the Independent Review Panel of the evaluation of options to replace Canada’s CF-18 fighter aircraft (2012-2014).

Srdjan Vucetic is a Professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa, Canada. His research interests involve American and Canadian foreign and defence policy and international security. Prior to joining the GSPIA, Srdjan was the Randall Dillard Research Fellow in International Studies at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge.

Publications

Canadian Defence Policy in Theory and Practice was published in 2020 and edited by Philippe Lagassé (Norman Patterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University), Srdjan Vucetic and Thomas Juneau (both Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa). This edited volume provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary debates and issues in Canadian defence policy studies. The contributors examine topics including the development of Canadian defence policy and strategic culture, North American defence cooperation, gender and diversity in the Canadian military, and defence procurement and the defence industrial base.  The content emphasizes the process of defence policy-making rather than just the outcomes of that process, focusing especially on how political and organizational interests impact planning and standard operating procedures that shape Canadian defence policy and practices. The authors’ workshop for this volume, held in 2017, was supported by CIPS and the Department of National Defence Engagement Grant.

Volume Two of Canadian Defence Policy in Theory and Practice was released in October 2023. The previous volume, which offered the first comprehensive book on Canadian defence policy in 25 years, covered a wide range of topics, including relations with demography, relations with Indigenous peoples, the Arctic, strategy-making, procurement, accountability, the role of special interests, and civil-military relations. This second volume, which was prepared in part thanks to support from CIPS, offers eight chapters on topics not previously covered in the first volume, on policy-making, climate change, procurement, gender, personnel retention, NORAD, and the budget.

Work on Volume Three of Canadian Defence Policy in Theory and Practice will begin in the coming months.

Professors Srdjan Vucetic and Thomas Juneau of University of Ottawa also collaborated in 2019 on a piece for the Globe and Mail entitled, “This Election, Canadians Can’t Afford to Ignore Parties’ Defence Policies“.

The Story

Professors Juneau, Lagassé, and Vucetic first floated the idea for this book at the International Studies Association-Canada Annual Joint Conference with the Canadian Political Science Association in June 2015 at the University of Ottawa. A small audience of academics and practitioners from the nearby Department of National Defence was enthusiastic and, recognizing the need for such a volume, supported their project (especially Kim Richard Nossal and Stéphane Roussel, and the three DND officials). On this basis, they proceeded to recruit more authors.

Professors Juneau, Lagassé, and Vucetic then met the authors in a workshop in December 2017, also at the University of Ottawa, to go over drafts and outlines of their prospective chapters and receive comments from the editors, the other authors, and discussants (Ward Elcock, Michel Gauthier, Peggy Mason, Lindsay Rodman, Mathieu Landriault, and Tom Ring). This event was co-funded by DND’s Defence Engagement Program (DEP), the Centre for International Policy Studies at the University of Ottawa, and the Barton Chair in International Affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University (Workshop Agenda).

Stephanie Carvin, Dave Perry, and Alex Wilner joined the authors for a special book launch at the National Defence Headquarters. This event took place on 16 January 2020 under the auspices of the DEP successor program, Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS).

The public book launch took place on March 3, 2020 at Château Laurier. Sponsored by the Canadian Defence and Security Network (CDSN-RCDS), it brought together academics, students, government officials, as well as members of the military, civil society and the diplomatic corps, while also kicking off the 88th rendition of the CDA Institute’s Annual Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence held on March 4-5, 2020. The event’s keynote speaker was Richard Fadden, Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa and former Deputy Minister of National Defence (also a former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada and an Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, as well as a former Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service).

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