Statement made on 16 February 2012 by Senator Joseph Day
Hon. Joseph A. Day:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. It relates to national defence procurement policies.
The Department of National Defence manages $3.5 billion annually in capital expenditures and annually spends $2.6 billion for maintenance and upgrades. They also oversee $22 billion of existing inventory on major systems and assets. Therefore, there is a huge amount of money being spent by National Defence in relation to materiel.
Former Auditor General Sheila Fraser looked into the practices at DND and stated not long ago that the current system, if followed, can provide the openness, fairness and accountability that is essential to ensure National Defence gets the equipment it needs and that it achieves best value.
Honourable senators will be aware, and the government I am sure is aware, that recently the Union of National Defence Employees gave the Defence Committee in the other place a report that suggests the Canadian taxpayer is paying above and beyond what they should for the allegedly shoddy work at the Defence Department buildings. The work is being done by private contractors who are hired through defence construction. The report included invoices and photographs that show crumbling foundations in new buildings.
I have waited a few days to ask this question to determine what steps the government will be taking. The first line of oversight is obviously within the department, and then parliamentarians, once we know what the department is doing, can perform the necessary oversight that we deem advisable.
What steps at this stage is the government taking since receiving this report to ensure that Canadians are getting the best value for their tax dollars?
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