NR 13.216 - July 8, 2013
CALGARY, AB – Today, the Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Q.C., Associate Minister of National Defence responsible for military procurement and Member of Parliament for Delta – Richmond East, delivered a keynote speech on the future of procurement at WestDef, Western Canada’s annual conference on defence and security.
“I’ve seen first-hand the role industry in Western Canada is playing to help us re-equip and modernize the Canadian Armed Forces,” Minister Findlay said. “It’s clear that Canadians benefit from your innovation and entrepreneurship and we want to continue to benefit from it.”
Minister Findlay told the crowd of defence industry participants that the Department of National Defence is improving the way it does business by streamlining internal process to reduce the amount of time it takes to get from the options analysis phase to the final delivery of the project, and to allow for more projects to work through the system at a much faster pace.
“Our Government is committed to better leveraging military procurement to the benefit of Canadian industry, but also for Canadian taxpayers. We need to ensure the impact of their hard-earned tax dollars isn’t eroded by inflation due to excessive delays. Perhaps most importantly, we need to our military capabilities remain robust and effective so that we can continue to count on our Armed Forces when they are needed most” she said.
The Department of National Defence, working with other government departments, is helping Canadian industry export efforts, when and where possible, and is helping to strengthen relationships with new and existing international partners for the benefit of both the Government of Canada and Canadian industry.
“We are determined to help you build on your successes and support you as you build a lasting defence industry infrastructure in this country,” she said, “because industry plays a key part in keeping members of the Canadian Armed Forces safe and enabling them to succeed in operations.”
“Canadian industry – and Western Canadian industry – is integral to the success of the Defence Team, because that success comes, in no small measure, from having the right equipment in the air, on land, at sea, and, indeed, even in space,” she said. “You should be proud of that.
WestDef, hosted by the Western Canadian Defence Industries Association, showcases the capabilities of Western Canadian defence contractors and promotes Western businesses as viable suppliers for federal defence procurement initiatives.
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