Canada’s defence policy is strong, secure, and engaged

Through Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Government of Canada is ensuring that our women and men in uniform have the equipment and services they need to do their jobs and protect Canadians. The policy features a significant increase in defence spending, and boasts an ambitious plan to spend more on equipment and infrastructure purchases. My department, Public Services and Procurement Canada, plays a key role in implementing that ambitious defence policy. Significant procurement projects and activities taking place in 2019 will help build a more agile, better-equipped military, while ensuring the best value for Canadians. For years, the previous government poorly managed Canada’s fighter jet procurements, leaving our Canadian Armed Forces without the resources it needs and having to risk manage between domestic and international obligations. Our government’s fighter jet competition represents the most significant investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years. We have been working diligently with potential suppliers, and a formal request for proposals will be released this spring, marking a significant milestone in this process. In the meantime, it’s important that we sustain our current fleet. That’s why we’ve recently entered into an agreement with the Australian government to buy 18 F-18 fighter jets and associated parts. We expect to take delivery of the first two jets over the next few months with the remaining fighter aircraft coming to Canada by the end of 2021. That’s the hardware—the jets that will carry our air force into the future. Our government is also ensuring that pilots and aircrews receive the training they need by renewing our existing aircrew training services. In December 2018, our government established a list of qualified suppliers, and this year, we will continue formal engagements to refine and finalize our request for proposals. We are also making significant progress on shipbuilding. The previous government’s shipbuilding strategy did not reflect the realistic needs of Canada’s Navy and Coast Guard, nor did it secure the full funding for the projects under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. For example, under their plan only six Canadian Surface Combatants ships would have been paid for, when in fact the Royal Canadian Navy identified the need for 15. A fighter jet takes off from United States Ship Ronald Reagan 500 yards from Canadian Ship Calgary during Operation Projection in the Philippine Sea on Nov. 2, 2018. Photo: Leading Seaman Mike Goluboff, MARPAC Imaging Services Significant progress on the largest procurement ever undertaken by the Government of Canada—the Canadian Surface Combatant—project is being made under our leadership. This is a multi-billion-dollar project that will span the next 20 to 25 years, resulting in ships that will serve as the backbone of the Navy for decades. In October 2018, after careful consideration, we identified a preferred bidder, Lockheed Martin Canada, and are well underway in this next stage of the process, which includes negotiations and due diligence. We anticipate that if the process is successful, we will award a contract in the coming months and start ship construction in the early 2020s. The Canadian Surface Combatant project is just one part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, our long-term commitment to shipbuilding that is bringing middle-class jobs and prosperity to many communities across the country, revitalizing our marine industry and supporting Canadian technological innovation. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, pictured in a Hill scrum. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade We’re making strides in other shipbuilding projects as well. This summer, the first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) is expected to be delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy. The AOPS will patrol Canada’s oceans, safeguard Canada’s sovereignty, including the Arctic, and will be suited for missions abroad to support international partners, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, search and rescue, and drug interdiction. The first Offshore Fisheries and Science Vessel, a fisheries research vessel, is also expected to be delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard this summer. We have also acquired three medium commercial icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. The first vessel began operations last month. The second and third vessels will be ready by summer 2019 and winter 2019-2020, respectively. The Government of Canada remains firmly committed to ensuring the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need to carry out their important work on behalf of Canadians. Under Strong, Secure, Engaged, our government has embarked upon an ambitious plan that will see a 70 per cent increase in defence spending with a commensurate increase in military procurement. With this increase in spending, we need to make sure projects are up and running in a timely manner without sacrificing our due diligence. We continually assess our procurement methods and progress on our projects, looking for opportunities for improvement. Members of Her Majesty?s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ville de Quebec's deck department receive Ship Without Air Detachment training from the Helicopter Air Detachment while sailing in the Mediterranean Sea during Operation Reassurance on Jan. 4, 2018. Photo: MCpl Andre Maillet, MARPAC Imaging Services In December 2018, we launched an 18-month pilot project to streamline defence procurement processes using a risk-based approach. This new approach is expected to reduce the number of projects requiring Treasury Board approval and lead to faster, simpler, and more efficient defence procurements. This year, we will be collecting data and evaluating this pilot, to ensure this approach helps streamline and modernize our defence procurement processes. In addition, we are taking steps to ensure we have a strong workforce dedicated to defence procurement to manage these complex projects. In collaboration with other federal departments, we are running multiple national recruitment campaigns to hire procurement staff at all levels, and we are increasing our efforts to reach university and college graduates through our Intern Officer Development Program. Our government remains focused on supporting our brave women and men in uniform and delivering on the commitments we’ve made under Strong, Secure, Engaged. Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough is also the Liberal MP for Delta, B.C. The Hill Times