Discussion · Government Orders
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative
“This bill gives the minister and an appointed head too much power to buy military equipment without asking our armed forces what they actually need. The government already surprised people by planning to buy airplanes without asking the air force. Does my colleague think the government should buy military gear without asking the military first?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her speech on military procurement, which is an extremely important issue. I would like to ask her a question. At CANSEC in May, everyone was taken by surprise when the government announced its intention to acquire the GlobalEye, an aircraft manufactured by Saab, without first consulting the Canadian air force. To everyone’s great surprise, this announcement was made without any consultation whatsoever. With Bill C-40, which would create the office of secretary of state for defence procurement, it is clear that the minister will have the power to make decisions himself. Worse still, the CEO, Mr. Guzman, will be able to unilaterally decide what he needs and what he wants for the country without necessarily consulting the Canadian Armed Forces. Does my colleague believe that this is the right approach? Should the government be making purchases without consulting the military?”
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Question or comment in debate
Clarity 39 of 100
Much of this statement used imprecise wording, lacked details on timing or responsibility, or made broad claims without support.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her speech on military procurement, which is an extremely important issue. I would like to ask her a question. At CANSEC in May, everyone was taken by surprise when the government announced its intention to acquire the GlobalEye, an aircraft manufactured by Saab, without first consulting the Canadian air force. To everyone’s great surprise, this announcement was made without any consultation whatsoever. With Bill C-40, which would create the office of secretary of state for defence procurement, it is clear that the minister will have the power to make decisions himself. Worse still, the CEO, Mr. Guzman, will be able to unilaterally decide what he needs and what he wants for the country without necessarily consulting the Canadian Armed Forces. Does my colleague believe that this is the right approach? Should the government be making purchases without consulting the military?