The Canadian government released its "AI for All" strategy three weeks ago, pledging to become the strategic anchor customer for domestic artificial intelligence firms and aiming for 60% AI adoption by Canadian businesses by 2034, while noting that it already purchases AI systems from U.S. vendor Palantir without public disclosure. The strategy outlines $500 million for equity stakes, $700 million for compute resources, a Trusted AI Certification program, and a health‑focused missions program, but does not mandate purchases from Canadian vendors. The Department of National Defence signed a $14.4 million contract with Palantir’s Canadian subsidiary in March 2020, a figure that grew to about $44.4 million after amendments and reached roughly $46.8 million in expenditures by October, with a separate $3.7 million Defence contract revealed after a Conservative MP inquired about AI spending. The Ontario Provincial Police has used Palantir’s Gotham platform since 2015. Critics argue that the strategy fails to require open procurement from Canadian firms, instead relying on existing foreign contracts that are not disclosed. The government says it will route faster AI purchases through a new Office of Digital Transformation, but this does not obligate buying from domestic vendors. Some observers worry that equity investments could place the state in a position to influence private companies, while others note that starting the health missions program may delay implementation due to the sector’s stringent privacy and procurement requirements. The founder of Vancouver‑based Caseway, a software firm that builds auditable decision‑support tools, said the government should purchase Canadian AI openly, similar to how it already buys Palantir services, and called for greater transparency and a fixed share of departmental AI budgets for Canadian‑controlled products. Until the government commits to transparent, open purchases from Canadian AI companies, the "first customer" claim in the strategy remains a slogan rather than a concrete procurement plan.