Less than 1%....
Evidence of meeting #128 for National Defence in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was industry.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #128 for National Defence in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was industry.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
On a point of order, this is committee, Mr. Chair. It is not question period. We don't need the theatrics. We need some answers.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
This is a stretch of points of order.
For the final five minutes, if we can get through them, we have Ms. Lapointe.
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome, Minister.
In a context of growing international instability, it's more important than ever that we have a stable domestic supply chain.
Can you explain how our government is working with Canadian industry to provide our armed forces with the resources they need while also developing our local economy?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Excuse me, Madame Lapointe. I'm having trouble hearing your question, and I'm the closest one to you.
I'd ask that this side at least keep their conversations somewhere over there.
Ms. Lapointe, please continue.
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
Can you tell us how our government is working with Canadian industry to provide our armed forces with the resources they need while also developing our local economy?
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Thank you very much, Ms. Lapointe.
That's a great question. I would say there are three parts to the answer.
The first is that we're investing much more than the Conservatives did back then.
The second is that we're investing strategically, increasingly through strategic partnerships with Canadian industry: for example—and this will be important for your riding—everything we're doing in terms of aircraft maintenance. Sometimes, as was the case with the F‑35 fighter jets, we can't build those aircraft entirely in Canada, but we can offer Canadian partners the ability to maintain them. Maintenance contracts are often worth much more than procurement contracts.
Third, that also applies when it comes to the armed forces. We've procured many new aircraft in recent years, including 200 in the past two years. We're in the process of renewing the entire Canadian Coast Guard fleet. These large contracts are helping Ontario's shipyards, among others.
This has had a huge impact on middle-class jobs in Canada. As I said, 81,000 jobs have been created in Canada, many of them in your riding. These are concrete measures for workers and businesses. These actions are delivering real results for our Canadian Armed Forces members, who sorely need these investments to get the job done in Canada and around the world.
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
Minister, defence procurement also serves as an opportunity to support Canadian industry and Canadian innovation. How does the new policy integrate the procurement process with domestic industrial capabilities, especially advanced manufacturing? Can you share how your department will work to ensure that Canadian businesses are the ones that benefit from these opportunities?
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
That is key and important to do. You will have noticed in the last hour or so that many of the things we're doing now are strategic in the sense that they support the strategic needs of our armed forces, of our industry players—many of them in your area—and of other countries as well, because other countries need us, including the United States. We can't do as well as the United States on all possible fronts. It is a much bigger country, but we can be strategically helpful to them in some key sectors.
I mentioned the F-35 airframe depot just a moment ago. I mentioned the ICE pact, which is the collaboration we have on icebreaking and on the construction of icebreakers in the decades to come. They need us for building icebreakers because they are in more dire circumstances than we are in Canada given the important investments we've made in the national shipbuilding strategy.
These are examples of strategic investments that are strategically supporting our armed forces, our industry and our relationships with other countries, the U.S. in particular.
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
Given your department's central role in defence procurement, which I know we've already discussed, could you highlight some of the key initiatives in “Our North, Strong, and Free” that will enhance the operational readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces?
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
That's a great question.
Minister Blair would be better able to address the whole range of aspects—and there are many—in which we are better supporting our armed forces. From my procurement perspective, let me point to the ammunition program, of which we talked earlier. It's so important, as we have depended too much for too long on the production capabilities of other countries.
The $9.5 billion we are investing to support the production of ammunition over the years to come in Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec and elsewhere is one of many other examples of progress that our recent defence policy update is enabling us to make.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
We'll have to leave it there.
I don't know, Minister, how much heat was generated and how much light was generated. There seems to be a dispute as to which was heat and which was light. Nevertheless, there is a core issue here. It was highlighted by some of our attendants in Halifax and attendants in Montreal this past weekend. Procurement in a number of countries is moving to a war footing because the perception is that certain countries have to be ready for invasion. I appreciate that every nation operates according to its perception of threat.
My sense is that our—meaning Canada's—perception of threat is not as heightened, frankly, as the committee would prefer it to be. I encourage you in your work and I appreciate that you find yourself in a difficult situation, but I think both our report and our questioning indicate that we need to really up the game here.
Again, I want to thank you for your attendance.
Before I let you go, I want you to participate in a recognition that this is one of our members' last day with the committee. Madame Normandin is a very able and contributing member of our committee. I will personally miss her questions—not all of her questions, but most of her questions. We have a little gift to recognize that this is her last day.
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
It's so cute! He'll have a special place in my office.
Thank you very much. That's very kind.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Thank you very much. We expect that at some point or another you'll bring it back. You and it will return, and maybe someone else will come with you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
All the best on behalf of the committee.
With that, thank you, Minister.
We are suspended. We will resume as soon as possible.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
We are now back.
I'll ask Mr. Bezan to move the supplementary estimates.
November 28th, 2024 / 9:20 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
I'll do it, then.
Is it the will of the committee to call the votes on the supplementary estimates (B)?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY ESTABLISHMENT
Vote 1b—Program expenditures..........$48,436,903
(Vote 1b agreed to on division)
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE
Vote 1b—Operating expenditures..........$792,570,108
Vote 5b—Capital expenditures..........$1,747,202,986
Vote 10b—Grants and contributions..........$760,706,999
(Votes 1b, 5b and 10b agreed to on division)
Shall I report these votes to the House?