“I want my colleagues to read this bill carefully. It helps defence businesses get the loans and insurance they need to bid on government contracts.”

“Mr. Speaker, I read Bill C‑40 and had the opportunity to give a speech here in the House. I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding about the bill. I will explain why. By creating this corporation, Bill C‑40 will provide support so businesses can bid on government contracts. I have worked with businesses. All too often, we see that they would like to bid on contracts, but they lack the financial means or do not have the necessary financial backing, from banks, for instance. That is what Bill C‑40 offers. It will support the entire sector in bidding on these contracts. It will provide loan insurance. It will make it possible to get loans. I would like my colleague to take the time to read the bill carefully and consider the impact it could have on the sector. It will support hundreds of businesses so they can bid on contracts.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It helps our military buy equipment faster, cuts government delays, and supports Canadian jobs.”

“Mr. Speaker, in my riding, the beautiful Bay of Quinte, we are proudly home to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s primary and largest air mobility hub, 8 Wing at CFB Trenton. While CFB Trenton is a fascinating and awesome place to celebrate in its sheer enormity and scope of operations, we are here today to discuss important legislation to accelerate defence procurement, strengthen Canadian industry and reinforce Canadian sovereignty. We do so to benefit and bolster the work of the 5,000 military and civilian personnel who keep CFB Trenton operational 24-7, 365 days a year. Bill C-40, the strengthening Canada’s defence sector act, represents a major step in modernizing how Canada equips its military. Above all, the legislation is about building a stronger, more capable Canada, a Canada that can continue to defend itself against emerging threats, protect its interests and keep Canadians safe. The bill comes at a defining moment in our country’s history. Our government is making a generational investment to rebuild, rearm and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces, but our investments are only part of the equation. We must also ensure that they translate into effective military capabilities delivered to our Canadian Armed Forces quickly and efficiently, as well as that they deliver real economic benefits for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. To meet these important commitments, in October 2025, we established the Defence Investment Agency, or the DIA, as a special operating agency within Public Services and Procurement Canada. In just one year, the DIA has helped accelerate and advance a number of major defence projects. The legislation we are proposing builds on this momentum, giving the DIA the additional tools and authorities it needs to keep doing this work even more quickly and efficiently. It is important to know that we are not starting from zero. With that in mind, I would like to take a few minutes to highlight some of the important projects the DIA has been able to advance over the past year, as well as to discuss how Bill C-40 would ensure that we can keep delivering at the pace that our military needs and that Canadians expect. Let me begin with air and space. Canada is a vast country. Protecting our airspace, particularly in the Arctic, requires modern aircraft, advanced surveillance systems and reliable communications. We are making significant progress on all three fronts. In May, Canada selected Saab as the preferred supplier for our future airborne early warning and control capability. Negotiations are now advancing toward the acquisition of the GlobalEye system. This system would provide long-range surveillance and early warning capabilities, helping our forces detect and track potential threats. Because GlobalEye uses Canadian-made Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft, this project also offers important opportunities for Canada’s aerospace industry. As we strengthen Canada’s air and space capabilities, we are also investing in emerging technologies. In just months, the defence drone initiative, made possible because of DIA involvement, has helped lay the foundations for a sovereign national defence drone ecosystem. Another important initiative is the enhanced satellite communications project, polar. This project will provide our military with reliable, secure communications in the Arctic, where conventional communications can often be limited. Working with Canadian industry leaders such as Telesat and MDA, the Defence Investment Agency has helped advance an innovative procurement approach. Rather than developing a technical solution in isolation, we engaged Canadian industry earlier, drawing on its expertise to help identify the best way forward. In August, the agency awarded Telesat a $2.3-billion contract for the first major component of this capability. This is an excellent example of how we can move faster while strengthening Canadian technological expertise and industrial capacity. Let me turn then to land capabilities. Our soldiers need modern equipment they can depend on. Earlier this year, our government awarded Colt Canada a contract for up to 65,402 new Canadian modular assault rifle systems. These rifles will replace equipment that has served our military for decades. Through the contract negotiated by the DIA, Colt Canada is committed to incorporating at least 80% Canadian content into these rifles, on top of their being built domestically. This project is a great example of how the DIA is already improving readiness for our soldiers while supporting Canadian manufacturing, skilled workers and our domestic defence industrial base. Likewise, the DIA is helping Canada move forward on the capabilities the Royal Canadian Navy needs to defend our vast waters, done most notably through the Canadian patrol submarine project. In July, Canada selected Germany-based TKMS, with the support of Germany and Norway, as its preferred supplier. Negotiations are under way to acquire up to 12 modern, conventionally powered submarines with long range, long endurance and Arctic capabilities. These submarines would strengthen our ability to detect, track and deter potential adversaries in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. We are planning to sustain these submarines right here in Canada. These are just a few examples of the major defence acquisitions under way. We have been able to make significant progress on these projects since the creation of the DIA. They also highlight something important. The DIA’s goal is not simply to acquire equipment faster. It is about fundamentally transforming how we approach defence procurement. Historically, major acquisitions have involved several federal departments, each with important responsibilities: National Defence identified military requirements; Public Services and Procurement Canada managed procurement and contracting; and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada oversaw industrial and economic considerations. While this arrangement brought valuable expertise across government, it could also create duplication, delays and uncertainty as projects move between organizations. The DIA is helping to change that. By bringing together military, technical, commercial and procurement specialists from across government, the agency is building integrated teams that can work collaboratively from the earliest stages of a project. The DIA is also introducing more flexible approaches to procurement. That includes engaging industry earlier, streamlining decision-making and considering existing commercial or military solutions where appropriate. This work is closely connected to Canada’s defence industrial strategy, which is helping ensure our defence investments also build the industrial capacity, skilled workforce and secure supply chains needed to produce and sustain critical capabilities here at home. At its heart is a straightforward approach: build, partner, buy. That means to build in Canada where we have the capacity or where developing that capacity is strategically important; partner with trusted allies when collaboration provides access to better capabilities, technologies or production opportunities; and buy existing capabilities from trusted partners. It would all strengthen our capability to maintain and sustain essential military equipment in Canada. That is important because every critical component we can produce domestically, every system we can maintain and repair ourselves, makes our country more resilient. The DIA would have a clear responsibility for translating these requirements into results, all while maintaining strong governance, financial oversight and accountability to Parliament through a minister. Ultimately, our success will not be measured by the number of contracts we sign. It will be measured by the opportunities we create for Canadian workers and businesses, and it will be measured by the capabilities we deliver to our military. That is what Bill C-40 is designed to achieve: a stronger military; a stronger defence industry; and a stronger, more sovereign Canada. That is why I urge all members of the House to support the legislation.”

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“This bill will help our military buy the equipment it needs, from socks to airplanes. It will make buying supplies faster while keeping strong oversight.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, for his service to Canada as a veteran, especially at this time of year. I listened earlier as the member recited a litany of shortages in sending troops into harm’s way when he was an active serving member, and I would like to remind him that the program we are introducing in this bill would help address the very concerns he expressed earlier. This program is designed to help better procure items such as C-17, but we have also seen that we need everything from socks to submarines, and this legislation would help do that, not only with speed but also with great oversight.”

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“This bill creates a new agency focused only on buying and building defence equipment. It will help us get equipment to the military faster. A new associate minister will oversee the agency to keep it accountable.”

“Mr. Speaker, in the new legislation, the shift is about centralizing execution and accountability with what is known as the CCDI. While recognizing that major defence investments will continue to advance broader Government of Canada priorities, the CCDI mandate would be more focused on defence production, procurement and investment. It would also accelerate delivery of defence capabilities. That does not mean there would be less oversight. The CCDI would operate at arm’s length under the national defence portfolio, reporting to a new minister, called the associate minister of national defence for procurement. The Government of Canada is committed to clear accountability and a more integrated approach to—”

“I want my colleague to explain how the new defence agency could bring economic benefits to ridings like ours.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the Bay of Quinte for his speech on the new Defence Investment Agency. I would like my colleague to elaborate on the type of spinoffs there might be for a riding like his or mine.”

“We should pass this bill. The current defence agency will keep working while we set up the new corporation, so nothing gets disrupted. A contractor in my riding told me this bill will help private businesses work better with the military.”

“Mr. Speaker, the DIA would be continue to operate under its existing authorities and advance procurements while the new Crown corporation is established. The transition would be managed to maintain continuity and minimize disruption to ongoing procurements, industrial industry partners and client organizations. Earlier today, I met with a defence contractor, for instance, who is interested and already actively working at CFB Trenton in my riding of the Bay of Quinte. They are very keen on Bill C-40 to see that this exact piece of legislation would help them further bring their private expertise to work in collaboration with our defences.”

“We are not creating a new kind of Crown corporation. Canada already has many of them that work closely with the government and face careful scrutiny. There is no reason to think buying military equipment this way will have less accountability.”

“Mr. Speaker, as we have seen, we are not reinventing the wheel here. We are not reinventing Crown corporations. I fail to see why, when we are talking defence procurement, we would all of a sudden have less accountability. We have many Crown corporations that operate very closely with government, but that is done with very good scrutiny.”

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