Translate Politics Parliament in plain language.

Public Services and Procurement

Question period dealt with Bill C-40, which would turn the Defence Investment Agency into a Crown corporation with new powers over defence procurement and investment. Conservatives argued the agency has been picking winners without open competition, cited the Saab GlobalEye aircraft decision, said the bill would reduce parliamentary oversight and Treasury Board controls, and asked the government to make its contracting rules public. Liberals replied that the agency has made progress over the past year, that signed contracts exist with companies including Telesat, Bombardier and General Dynamics, that the bill keeps existing oversight safeguards, and that the Saab choice brings work and jobs to Canada. Both sides also exchanged criticisms of each other’s records on defence spending and NATO commitments, and Liberals pointed to recent defence investments including projects in Alberta.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

6 statements

Stephen Fuhr

Liberal
“Our defence agency has done a lot for our military over the past year. We are buying new planes and armoured vehicles, and working on submarines. This bill will help the agency work faster like a business and do more than just buy equipment.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 100 of 100

    Of this answer, 100% addressed the question that was asked.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, anyone who is paying attention would know that the Defence Investment Agency, over the last 12 months, has done a lot to deliver for our armed forces. We are in contract award for new aircraft. We are in contract award for armoured vehicles. We are advancing projects such as submarines and AEW&C aircraft. All these things are happening. Bill C-40 would give our Defence Investment Agency a more commercially minded organization that could do things faster and do much more than just buy things for the military.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A View analysis

Stephen Fuhr

Liberal
“This defence bill keeps all the oversight and accountability rules we already have. We made the right choice to pick Saab for these planes. They will be built and modified in Canada, which brings jobs and helps our military.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, part of the question was incoherent, but let me address the part of it that I think I could hear. Bill C-40 would still have all the safeguards for oversight and government accountability that we have in the system we have right now. With regard to the member’s comment about the GlobalEye, we did the necessary analysis to make the choice to download Saab as the preferred supplier. This is great for Canada. These airplanes are built in Canada. They could be militarized in Canada for our own needs and exported to the world. This is good for Canadian jobs, good for Canada and good for our armed forces.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade B+ View analysis

Stephen Fuhr

Liberal
“The Conservatives cut defence spending and pulled us out of a NATO plane program when they were in power. The plane we are buying now is built in Canada for us and our allies, and many countries want it.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 25 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it is always interesting to find out, when people are criticizing what we are up to, what they did when they had the keys to the car. The Conservative Party let NATO defence spending fall below 1%. The Conservatives actually got us out of NATO AWACS. That was a specific, conscious decision by the Stephen Harper government. Regarding the NATO airplane we are looking at buying, everybody in the world wants it. It is built in Canada. It will be built for Canadians and built for our allies. We are very proud of that.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade C– View analysis

Stephen Fuhr

Liberal
“We have already signed defence contracts with Telesat, Bombardier, and General Dynamics. The member who criticized us voted against defence spending in committee in 2024.”

  • A repeated line

    “We will take no lessons from the Conservatives.”

    Said 9 times by 4 members since April 23.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Telesat and MDA is a signed contract. Bombardier is a signed contract. General Dynamics Land Systems—Canada is a signed contract. May I remind the member that he voted against defence spending in 2024 at the defence committee. We will take no lessons from the Conservatives.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade B– View analysis

Sherry Romanado

Liberal
“The Conservatives always vote against spending money on our military. We are spending over $81 billion on defence over five years, and we met the NATO target early. The member should support this.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 0 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Respect 66 of 100

    This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “the member opposite does not want to talk about”.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it is very obvious that the member opposite does not want to talk about his lack of support for the Canadian Armed Forces. Every single time we have brought forward defence spending at committee, the Conservative Party has voted against it. Mr. Speaker, in budget 2025, we invested more than $81 billion in defence over the next five years. We have met the NATO target of 2% five years ahead of schedule. I do not understand why the member opposite cannot get on board.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade F View analysis

Sherry Romanado

Liberal
“Our government is investing nearly $8 billion in national defence in Alberta. This includes money for fighter jets, a new lab, a base for air force planes, and base repairs. We support our military members and defence workers there.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 0 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of National Defence was in Alberta to talk about the incredible investments we have been making. At CFB Edmonton, we highlighted nearly $8 billion in defence investment, including nearly $4 billion to support future fighter capabilities at CFB Cold Lake. There is $750 million for a new chemical and biological laboratory at Suffield. There is $550 million to establish the western operating base for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Husky fleet. There is over $580 million over the next three years for maintenance and repair work across bases in Alberta. There are over 12,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces and DND employees in Alberta, and we support them.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade F View analysis

Discussion

No comments yet

See the full discussion

Comment rules

More from sitting 148

All 46 items ·
  1. Government Orders Business of Supply 105 statements
  2. Government Orders Business of Supply 8 statements
  3. Statements by Members Latin American and Hispanic Day on the Hill 2 statements
  4. Oral Questions Finance 5 statements
  5. Oral Questions The Economy 8 statements
  6. Oral Questions Government Priorities 6 statements
  7. Oral Questions Public Services and Procurement 13 statements
  8. Oral Questions Climate Change 4 statements
  9. Oral Questions Housing 4 statements
  10. Oral Questions Employment 4 statements
  11. Oral Questions Housing 2 statements
  12. Oral Questions Agriculture and Agri-Food 2 statements
  13. Oral Questions Public Safety 4 statements
  14. Oral Questions Democratic Institutions 8 statements
  15. Oral Questions Fisheries and Oceans 6 statements
  16. Oral Questions Health 2 statements
  17. Oral Questions The Economy 6 statements
  18. Oral Questions The Environment 2 statements
  19. Oral Questions Justice 2 statements
  20. Oral Questions Health 2 statements
  21. Oral Questions Fisheries and Oceans 4 statements
  22. Oral Questions The Economy 2 statements
  23. Government Orders Business of the House 2 statements
  24. Government Orders Business of Supply 9 statements
  25. Private Members' Business Sergei Magnitsky International Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Act 15 statements
  26. Government Orders Business of Supply 8 statements
  27. Government Orders Business of Supply 42 statements
  28. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  29. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  30. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 6 statements