Government Operations Committee on Nov. 6th, 2025

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Okay. Each one of them has its own mandate, approval process and risk team. Is that correct?

[Dominique Blanchard]

Yes, I think that's correct.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Do you agree, then, that the system just wasn't really working, caused massive delays and cost overruns?

[Dominique Blanchard]

I think there are a number of reasons for cost overruns, but yes.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Okay.

The Prime Minister's solution was to add a fifth organization, the new Defence Investment Agency, to fix that process. Is that correct?

[Dominique Blanchard]

I would say that what's important is the way this organization takes on some of the roles and responsibilities that were previously undertaken by the ones that you mentioned.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Okay.

Just so we're clear, none of the original four departments are being removed or losing their involvement in the process. Is that correct?

[Dominique Blanchard]

I think that remains to be seen. These are early days for this organization. Certainly, some of the capacities within those organizations may step back—

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

They're still there.

[Dominique Blanchard]

The organizations are still there, yes.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

We still have National Defence, Procurement, Innovation and Science, and the Treasury Board, plus the new agency that's sitting on top of them doing the big buys—over $100 million. That is what I understand.

[Dominique Blanchard]

Yes, again, there may be organizations within those departments that would be stood down or have smaller roles going forward, but they would still have a role, yes.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Okay.

The person who was chosen to lead it, and for what seems to be a salary of close to $1 million if you include the bonuses—we shall see—is Mr. Guzman. He comes from banking—a career in finance, wealth management and capital markets—with no background in government procurement and with no military experience, as far as I can see, not even as a cadet.

Ms. McClymont, was he actually on your list?

[Donnalyn McClymont]

As I mentioned earlier, and as was mentioned in the Prime Minister's announcement, Mr. Guzman was chosen because, as you just said, he has decades of experience in investment and finance, capital allocation, project execution—

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

I was just asking if he was on your list.

I wonder, Mr. Chair, if you might help me out. It's a fairly direct question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Are you able to provide an answer?

[Donnalyn McClymont]

Out of respect for personal information, I'm not in a position to speak to who, specifically, was on the various lists.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

I'm just asking specifically about Mr. Guzman. I'm just wondering whether the Prime Minister went over your head if Mr. Guzman wasn't on your list.

[Vince Gasparro, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

The witness has answered this question three times now, so—

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

No, she hasn't answered the question.

[Vince Gasparro, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

She has answered. She's given you an answer.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Colleagues, let Mr. Gasparro finish his point of order.

[Vince Gasparro, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

She's given an answer three times on this exact question. The member is borderline badgering the witness.

Are you going to spend the rest of the time asking the same question? She's given you the answer.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Mr. Gasparro, thanks. I've heard the point of order.

I don't think it's badgering. I do believe that it's a very straightforward question, and I think we'd appreciate a straightforward answer to this. I don't think it's betraying any confidentiality.

[Donnalyn McClymont]

The simple answer would be that, obviously, he was a name that was under consideration, because he was asked to take on the role. That would be the best I could answer for you.