Question Period Notes
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In December 2017, the Government of Canada launched an open and transparent competition to permanently replace Canada’s fighter fleet with 88 advanced jets—the Future Fighter Capability Project.
Notes:
- All questions related to capability, technical issues, deliveries and requirements, as well as questions related to in-service support costs, including the complete life-cycle costs, should be answered by the Minister of National Defence
- All questions related to the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy and Canadian Industry’s participation on the Joint Strike Fighter Program should be answered by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
- All questions related to trade issues should be answered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs
The National Shipbuilding Strategy is a long-term commitment to renew the vessel fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard, create a sustainable marine sector, and generate economic benefits for Canadians.
Notes:
- Questions on budget, requirements, timelines, international comparisons, and project management should be directed to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard or the Minister of National Defence
- Questions related to Canadian sanctions against Moscow should be directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is implementing the Long Term Vision and Plan – a multi-decade strategy to restore and modernize the Parliamentary Precinct. The core of the Parliamentary Precinct includes the grounds and buildings on Parliament Hill and the 3 city blocks directly facing it.
The Department is also supporting Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to develop a national space for Indigenous Peoples within the Parliamentary Precinct. The project includes the re-development of the former United States Embassy (located at 100 Wellington Street), the CIBC building (located at 119 Sparks Street) and an infill space between the two buildings.
Note:
- Questions related to a national space for Indigenous Peoples (100 Wellington, 119 Sparks and a dedicated Algonquin space) should be directed to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs as the overall lead for a national space for Indigenous Peoples
- Questions related to funding announced in Budget 2024 to bolster the Ottawa Police Services’ presence around the Parliamentary campus should be directed to the Minister of Public Safety
Public Services and Procurement Canada is working to modernize and simplify procurement.
The recent establishment of the Office of Supplier Integrity and Compliance supports the Government of Canada’s ability to identify suppliers of concern, take appropriate action to mitigate the risk they pose, and promote ethical business practices in an evolving marketplace.
There has been media attention on federal government spending on professional services contracts.
On November 28, 2023, Canada entered into a government-to-government agreement with the United States (US) Government for the acquisition of up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Fourteen multi-mission aircraft will be procured, with options for up to an additional two. The estimated value of this government-to-government agreement, which also includes associated equipment, training devices and initial sustainment, is $5.9 billion USD including contingency.
Notes:
- All questions related to capability and costs should be answered by the Minister of National Defence
- All questions related to industrial and technological benefits should be answered by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
On November 7, 2023, the Government of Canada announced that 6 surplus federal properties will be developed into more than 2,800 new homes in Calgary, Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta and St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and Ottawa, Ontario.
Senator Deacon will be asking the following question in today’s Question Period:
“Despite Treasury Board's Policy on Green Procurement, in October of this year, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the department responsible for leading Canada’s national sustainability strategies, failed to incorporate detailed sustainability criteria in a $8 Million dollar purchase of laptops. The department opted for the lowest cost solution despite the availability of green alternatives. I've found this to be far from the only case where the criteria are simply the lowest cost.
The absence of sustainability criteria and consideration in government procurements is prevalent across all departments. For example, an ongoing bid for computer hardware and accessories initiated by Shared Services, or pharmaceutical refrigerators at National Defense, also does not have sustainability criteria listed on the bidder requirements.
Procurement can be a powerful tool in reducing our scope 3 carbon emissions all the way down the supply chain. Why did ECCC, the lead department responsible our national sustainability goals, fail to set an example by not including these criteria in these bids?”
- Media and MPs have raised concerns regarding the use of tools capable of extracting data from mobile devices and other assets within the Government of Canada (GC). While the media narrative makes reference to “spyware”, that is not an accurate description of these tools used by Shared Services Canada (SSC)