SoVote

Mr. Anthony Housefather (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Lib.)

May/19/22 7:13:18 p.m.
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Madam Chair, our government has been working to address inequities by modernizing its procurement practices and encouraging suppliers from diverse backgrounds to be part of the federal supply chain. Budget 2021 proposed $87.4 million over five years, and $18.6 million ongoing, to modernize federal procurement and to create opportunities for specific communities such as indigenous people, women, LGBTQ2+ Canadians, Black and other racialized Canadians. This included a two-year study from 2018 to 2020 that aimed to leverage the government's significant purchasing power to pursue socio-economic outcomes through procurement. As the minister mentioned, our government also undertook a Black business procurement pilot in 2021 to expand procurement opportunities for Black entrepreneurs. We also recently released two requests for information to better understand the procurement experience of businesses owned or led by persons with disabilities and the LGBTQ2+ community. As part of its efforts to diversify the federal supply chain, we have issued requests for information to gather input from Canadian Black businesses and businesses owned or operated by persons with disabilities, as well as businesses owned or led by members of the LGBTQ2+ community. The feedback gathered through the RFIs will be used to expand the use of targeted approaches to increase diversity in federal procurements. PSPC's Policy on Social Procurement came into effect in May 2021. It allows the department to create targeted approaches to increase diversity and inclusion in PSPC procurement and leverage trade agreements that permit socio-economic procurement. I know that the minister has been holding a number of round tables. Could the minister tell the House what she has been hearing first-hand from business leaders?

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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22

Mr. Anthony Housefather

May/19/22 7:17:16 p.m.
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Madam Chair, our government is committed to renewing and strengthening its economic relationship with indigenous entrepreneurs and communities by providing increased economic opportunities to first nations, Inuit and Métis businesses through the federal procurement process. Our government announced the implementation of a mandatory requirement for federal departments and agencies to ensure that a minimum of 5% of the total value of contracts is held by indigenous businesses. This requirement includes public reporting and will be phased in over three years, beginning this year, with a number of federal departments that are ready to immediately begin this work, with full implementation expected by 2024. From March 2020 to March 2022, Public Services and Procurement Canada, as a common service provider, has awarded $1.3 billion through 1,744 contracts to indigenous suppliers. Can the minister tell the House more about the efforts to achieve this mandatory target, and what she is hearing from indigenous business leaders and partners?

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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22

Mr. Anthony Housefather (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Lib.)

May/19/22 9:34:21 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I want to take this opportunity to thank the men and women of our Armed Forces, a sentiment I know is shared by all sides in the House, for the incredible work that they do. I was pleased to join with almost everybody here to vote for a motion to increase our defence spending up to 2% of our gross domestic product. We have made progress since 2015. In 2015, we were at about 1%. We are now at 1.37%, and with the additions in the budget this year, we are going to move up to 1.5%. We still have more to do, but we know, based on the threats in the world today, we need to invest in our Armed Forces. I am so pleased that we are also creating economic benefits and good middle-class jobs here in Canada from coast to coast through substantial investments in equipping our military. Let me talk about the national shipbuilding strategy. Over the last 10 years, we have invested $21.07 billion in NSS contracts to businesses across the country. Of these, approximately $1 billion went to small businesses of less than 250 employees, and this has created approximately 18,000 jobs being created or maintained in Canada, not to mention all of the spin-off jobs that are created from companies that do business with C-SPAN, Irving and Davie. We have awarded thus far $6.52 billion to Irving; $5.26 billion to Vancouver Shipyards, which is C-SPAN; and $2.26 billion to Davie. Other shipyards have received $7.03 billion. We are also providing the most advanced military jets, the 88 fighter jets that are being ordered. At this point the contract is being negotiated with Lockheed Martin. They are the biggest investment we have made in the Air Force in a generation. We launched a transparent competition in order to procure those jets starting in December 2017.

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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22

Mr. Anthony Housefather

May/19/22 9:37:28 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, again, as I mentioned, we have invested $21 billion in the economy through the national shipbuilding strategy. Of that, the amount that has gone to Seaspan, with the spinoff effects in the member's riding, is $5.26 billion. That is not to talk about the indirect benefits that go to companies that are doing business with that shipyard. I appreciate the hon. member's interest in this issue, and I look forward to continuing to work with him and all of our colleagues in investing in the Canadian economy.

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