Ottawa, ON – James Bezan, Conservative Shadow Minister for National Defence, and Jeff Kibble, Conservative Shadow Minister for Defence Procurement, released the following statement on the Liberals’ Bill C-40 to make the Defence Investment Agency (DIA) a Crown corporation:
“After a decade of Liberal neglect, our sailors, soldiers and aviators do not need a new bureaucracy or a minister with a new title. They need a procurement process that equips them for the modern threats we face.
“The Defence Investment Agency has failed to deliver a single piece of new equipment for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), claiming signing ceremonies and announcing preferred partnerships as actual deliveries.
“The situation got so bad that just weeks ago, the DIA’s own CEO reportedly wanted to resign after having been ‘frustrated by the slow pace of government bureaucracy.’
“Meanwhile, there is mounting evidence that the Agency may have decided on Saab’s GlobalEye as the preferred supplier for the Airborne Early Warning and Control platform without proper consideration or consultation with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
“As C-40 comes before Parliament, Conservatives are concerned by changes that could remove much-needed parliamentary oversight from the DIA, creating potential opportunities for waste and mismanagement.
“Conservatives will always fight to get the brave men and women of the CAF the equipment they need to keep Canadians safe and defend Canada, and for a procurement process that is accountable and efficient.”