Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says his goal is to make Canada “the NATO partner of choice,” noting that refining critical minerals is “the name of the game” for becoming a competitive supplier.
“Exploration, extraction is something, but what we need is refining. That’s the key,” Champagne told a business audience in Calgary on Nov. 10, while answering questions about the Liberal government’s recently tabled budget. “Refining is the name of the game.”
The minister noted that refining critical minerals is essential for defence, and said Canada has refineries for minerals like titanium, which is needed to build submarines and other defence systems….