Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates: 2025–26 Supplementary Estimates (C)
Opening statement
Scott Jones
President
Shared Services Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
March 12, 2026
Introduction
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I would like to begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss Shared Services Canada’s requests in Supplementary Estimates (C).
I am joined today by SSC’s Chief Financial Officer, Scott Davis.
SSC’s role
Shared Services Canada is responsible for modernizing and operating the Government of Canada’s core IT infrastructure and is the department principally responsible for delivering the Government’s agenda for digital transformation, efficiency and the deployment of AI tools and automation throughout the GC.
We deliver enterprise digital services that support departments in carrying out their mandates, while reducing duplication, strengthening cyber security and driving efficiency across government.
Modern, secure digital infrastructure is foundational to service delivery, national security and public trust.
SSC delivers this foundation through shared, government-wide connectivity, hosting, digital and cyber security services that are managed at enterprise scale.
Budget 2025
Budget 2025 reinforced three clear priorities for the public sector: fiscal discipline, digital modernization and better services for Canadians.
Shared Services Canada plays a direct role in advancing all three.
Our ongoing work to modernize GC systems improves performance and reliability, while we continue to reduce costs by providing a government-wide enterprise approach to digital services. Examples of this include SSC’s Enterprise Platform Service as a single, secure and cost-effective solution for enterprise applications, rather than departments creating and managing their own costly and siloed hosting environments.
The department is also launching its Enterprise Desktop Service (EDS) initiative, which will unify and modernize desktop delivery across the GC, by providing a consistent, secure and accessible digital toolkit for public servants, and move away from the current fragmented model where each department manages its own engineering, assets and support.
We also support the government’s commitment to digital sovereignty by protecting government data, securing critical infrastructure and maintaining control over key digital assets.
These priorities are reflected in SSC’s ongoing procurement to establish sovereign Canadian cloud capabilities for the GC, which prioritize Canadian-owned and controlled cloud service providers, in light of increasing geopolitical risks.
We contribute to the government’s Buy Canadian objectives by fostering Canadian innovation and strengthening domestic digital capacity.
2025–26 Supplementary Estimates (C)
The funding before the Committee supports two core outcomes: strengthening cyber security across government and meeting increased demand for secure digital services—particularly in support of national defence priorities.
For the 2025–26 Supplementary Estimates (C), Shared Services Canada is seeking a net increase of $11.4 million, bringing its funding from $2,687 million to $2,699 million.
This includes:
- $13.3 million in new funding to support an enterprise Security Information and Event Management solution, as well as $200,000 in associated Employee Benefit Plan adjustments
- $2.1 million in net decreases related to transfers with other organizations
In addition, Shared Services Canada is seeking an increase of $25 million in vote‑netted revenue authority. This reflects increased service volumes to support the Department of National Defence’s operational and modernization requirements.
The associated revenue will fully offset costs, resulting in no net impact on funding.
What this funding enables
SSC works closely with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and the Communications Security Establishment to protect government networks and infrastructure.
Each year, we block approximately 6.5 trillion cyber threats—an average of 18 billion a day—to ensure government systems remain operational and secure.
The Security Information and Event Management solution will significantly strengthen our defences by automating and accelerating security monitoring across government.
This will improve our ability to predict, detect and respond to cyber threats, helping to ensure that critical government services—whether related to benefits delivery, defence operations, or secure communications—remain available, trusted and resilient for Canadians.
Conclusion
Shared Services Canada remains focused on delivering secure, reliable digital foundations that enable government to serve Canadians effectively.
The funding requested in these Estimates will allow us to strengthen cyber defences, support growing service demand and continue advancing the government’s digital transformation agenda—while maintaining strong financial stewardship and accountability to Parliament.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I look forward to answering your questions.