Alex Ruff

“Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, we are living in a rapidly changing world. Multiple conflicts are currently unfolding across the globe. The rules-based international order we knew for decades has been turned upside down. Technological advances are fundamentally altering both the nature of the threats we face and the tools available to address them. We must develop defence capabilities to meet these new realities. There are also new challenges ahead. Consider, for example, the growing strategic importance of the Arctic and the need to find a way to safeguard our sovereignty over this vast northern territory. We must reinvest to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need, when they need it. That means reinvesting not only in modernizing and replenishing our equipment, but also in building a defence supply chain capable of meeting the needs of our armed forces in a timely manner. That is precisely why we are debating Bill C‑40 today. Since last year, we have made major investments in the Canadian Armed Forces, and we have met our NATO defence spending target of 2% of GDP. These investments are essential for protecting our country’s sovereignty. They give us the means to defend our territory, our borders and our national interests. We are also seeking to build our strategic autonomy through these investments. We want to further develop industrial capabilities and reliable supply chains right here at home so that we can meet our own defence needs and fulfill our commitments to our allies as members of NATO. This is also a measure of our credibility as a reliable international partner. In addition to meeting security needs, these defence investments are also helping us to strengthen the Canadian economy because we are enhancing Canada’s industrial capabilities. With that in mind, in February, we launched Canada’s very first defence industrial strategy, which seeks to transform our defence industries by prioritizing Canadian suppliers and materials. By investing in our defence capabilities, we want to promote our local businesses, stimulate our economy and invest in Canadian innovation and commercialization, while streamlining procurement to give businesses consistent and predictable demand. As I mentioned, we have already taken historic steps to speed up defence equipment procurement while ensuring that Canadian workers and businesses benefit in the process. However, we want to go further and, as we have said before, we can do better. To improve, we have to start by identifying weaknesses in the Canadian defence procurement system and finding ways to fix them. Specifically, I am thinking of the fragmentation between departments, because defence procurement involves multiple different government entities and ministers. This fragmentation can affect our efficiency. In addition, sometimes, procedures are too complex to meet the military’s constantly changing needs. We have also noted how slow and arduous it is for the system to adapt to the immediate needs of our armed forces. We want to cut through the red tape. We want to speed up procurement and more quickly deliver critical equipment and capabilities to the CAF and our allies. It is in this spirit that we have introduced Bill C-40 to establish the Defence Investment Agency as a Crown corporation. This agency will have a strong mandate to carry out activities related to production, procurement and investment in respect of national defence assets. What will change about this agency? It will have additional and expanded authority to move complex projects forward, and it will have the capacity and expertise to do so while developing Canada’s defence industrial base. More specifically, as a Crown corporation, this agency will be able to operate with greater authority to negotiate and manage contracts in accordance with business practices more familiar to the industry. It will eliminate fragmentation by bringing the decision-makers responsible for procurement and strategic investments together in one place. It will reduce administrative burdens and facilitate access for suppliers in order to speed up procurement. What is more, Bill C-40 proposes creating the position of associate minister of national defence for procurement to oversee this new Crown corporation. The idea is once again to centralize the activities within a single agency rather than having a fragmented system like the one we have now. The objective is to deliver better results for our armed forces. We are already hard at work. We have already announced major investments in our armed forces since the last election. We are currently in negotiations to acquire up to 12 submarines, which is the largest defence procurement in our country’s history. We are establishing a strategic partnership framework under the defence industrial strategy to expand our fleet of armoured vehicles. We announced an $11-billion investment in an icebreaker contract for the Davie shipyard, the largest shipbuilding contract in the history of the province of Quebec. My home province of New Brunswick is not being overlooked. In April, our government announced an investment of more than $1 billion for the Canadian Armed Forces base in Gagetown. This includes $871 million to recapitalize the range and training area and $172 million to establish new ground-based air defence infrastructure. These investments ensure that our soldiers train on infrastructure built to last the next century and truly adapted to today’s needs. In addition to these investments, another $20 million has been budgeted to create a modern building that centralizes transition services in order to better support CAF members and their families during the transition either back to duty or to civilian life. I want to emphasize how important this federal investment of over $1 billion is to my province, New Brunswick. This is a significant amount with economic benefits not only for the military base, but for my province as a whole. In fact, my colleague from Fredericton—Oromocto often talks to us about the importance of investing in CFB Gagetown, both to support our CAF members by providing them with adequate training facilities truly adapted to their needs, but also for the many benefits it brings to our entire province. I support my colleague from Fredericton—Oromocto’s efforts. Our defence industrial strategy also includes a component aimed at increasing Canadian innovation in the defence and dual-use sector. I am referring to funding for technology, infrastructure, research and equipment that serve both military purposes, for use by our CAF, and civilian applications. I am thinking of our investments in drones and surveillance systems. It goes without saying that there is tremendous potential in the defence sector, particularly when it comes to monitoring vast territories such as the Arctic and conducting reconnaissance missions. However, these technologies can also be used in search and rescue operations. They can be deployed during forest fires and used to map our forests. They are also useful in agriculture for mapping fields. These investments improve our drone technology, which has both military and civilian applications. The same is true of satellite technologies and the improvements we are making to access space and enhance satellite connectivity. These investments help meet the need for secure, reliable communications in remote places, of course, but there is also potential to improve cell connectivity in rural parts of the country. I am also thinking of our investments in cybersecurity, which will help strengthen the protection of our networks and improve our ability to detect threats. This is especially important at a time when artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. Investments in cybersecurity will have tangible benefits, particularly in terms of improving the security of our public and corporate networks. I am giving all these examples to show that our defence investments will not just be used to procure military equipment. They will also benefit our businesses and communities. We are investing to meet the needs of our military, but we are also taking this opportunity to further enhance Canada’s advantage in sectors such as AI, IT and access to space. We are having this discussion on Bill C-40 as we are entering the remembrance period, and I think it is important to mention that. From October 24 to November 11, millions of Canadians wear a poppy as a visible pledge to remember those who served our country and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy today. Wearing a poppy is a symbol of gratitude, thanking those who serve and their families and remembering those who lost their lives in service to our country. It is also a sign of remembrance and education, reminding future generations of the importance of knowing our history and remembering those who served our country. It is a concrete way to support our local Royal Canadian Legions. The poppy campaign raises funds to support veterans and their families, so making a donation is a concrete way to show our support. This year, Remembrance Day takes on a particular meaning following the recent loss of four members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the serious injuries sustained by several others at Wainwright.”