Martin Champoux

“Madam Speaker, like my colleague, this is the first time I have spoken on a bill in the House since October 17. I would like to bring condolences from the people of Labrador with respect to the tragic loss to Canada, to all of us and especially to the families of those who lost their lives on October 17. At the heart of the ongoing debate around Bill C-40 in the House lies a simple notion, that the Canadian Armed Forces deserve to have the equipment they need when they need it. It was, after all, the opening comment from my colleague across the way just a few short moments ago. Our armed forces and Canadian Coast Guard work tirelessly to protect our country’s sovereignty, defend our people, respond to emergencies and maintain international peace and security. The women and men who serve our country must have the capabilities they need to do their jobs. That includes modern, reliable equipment with advanced features and technology for maximum advantage in the field. Canada’s defence procurement has long been complicated, lengthy and reliant on international suppliers. The old methods of defence procurement involve a decentralized approach that has not been, and is not, fit for the current geopolitical realities, with responsibilities and accountability spread over too many separate departments. Canada needs a defence procurement system that can keep pace with the world around us. Our armed forces need the right equipment. We need new, nimble and more streamlined methods of procurement. Our industry needs clear direction, and Canadians expect us to deliver. Bill C-40, the strengthening Canada’s defence sector act, is the next step in that important work: giving the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard the capabilities they need when they need them. Providing modern, reliable capabilities to our armed forces is at the very core of the Defence Investment Agency’s mission. The DIA was created in October 2025 under a temporary structure of a special operating agency within Public Services and Procurement Canada to help Canada respond to current and emerging security threats. The overarching goal was to modernize equipment delivery and ensure our troops receive the capabilities they need when they need them. Creating the DIA as a special operating agency allowed us to improve delivery immediately, while developing its permanent structure. However, that was never intended to be the destination. Over the last year, the agency quickly got to work on its mission to transform defence procurement in Canada, reducing delays, cutting red tape, streamlining decision-making and delivering critical capabilities more quickly, transparently and with full accountability to Canadians. As a special operating agency, it has succeeded in its mission, to a point. In the year since the DIA was created, several major procurements have been completed or are on track to be completed faster and earlier than expected. The agency has reached key milestones on a number of complex and highly valued projects. Now guided by Canada’s first defence industrial strategy, the agency has made considerable progress in important projects, such as the next-generation rifle for our army, new aircraft, space capabilities and the next generation of submarines. The special operating agency model has proven its value. It has shown us that we can accelerate defence procurement. Instituting the Defence Investment Agency as a permanent organization with an updated mandate, authorities and flexibility will give us the tools to accelerate even faster. Moreover, it will provide a critical level of agility to meet the serious defence and security challenges that Canada is facing. This would allow us to deliver military capabilities sooner, strengthen Canadian industry and remain accountable for the results. This is what Bill C-40 would accomplish, taking progress to the next level and using a more businesslike approach. I believe many, if not most, members in the House would agree that there is a strong need for a single point of accountability for defence procurement. Under the previous, decentralized system, responsibility was spread out across multiple departments. Many organizations had a role, but no single minister was accountable for delivering results. Bill C-40 would set a dedicated ministerial leadership within the national defence portfolio, the associate minister of national defence for procurement. It is important to note that Bill C-40 would allow the new associate minister to perform financial assistance operations related to production or investment in respect of defence or national security. These new powers would allow the government to play a more active role in strengthening Canada’s defence and national security industrial base. This is how we are fostering innovation that supports strategic capabilities and moving swiftly to ensure that critical technologies and manufacturing capabilities remain available to Canada and to our allies. We have already streamlined approval processes under the DIA’s temporary structure and achieved many things in terms of accelerating and improving procurement, as I mentioned earlier. However, we need to go further, and Bill C-40 would take us there. In closing, as Canadians face an unpredictable and unstable world, our government is ensuring that our armed forces remain ready for the challenges ahead. We are rebuilding and reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces to meet the moment, so that Canadians who serve have access to the dependable, modern equipment they need. We are laser focused on delivering on the defence industrial strategy and supporting the buy Canadian policy by tapping into and using a more businesslike approach. We are collaborating with like-minded, reliable and trusted industry partners to create new opportunities for Canadian defence industries, ensuring Canadian expertise has a strong hand in keeping us safe and secure. Canada’s government is protecting Canadians by making generational investments in defence and security, and we need institutions built to match the scale and urgency of that ambition. That is why the Defence Investment Agency is transitioning to a permanent organization with an updated mandate, as well as a centralized office with greater accountability. Under this model, the DIA will move faster to make strategic investments and deliver capabilities we need for the dedicated women and men on the front lines of our armed forces. This is about putting in place the right long-term institutional framework to improve defence procurement and delivering better results for Canadians. Bill C-40, once passed, will dramatically improve outcomes for the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces and all Canadians. I urge all members in the House to support this legislation.”