Senator Dalphond: Thank you, minister. I see that the work is only beginning. Will that work include a recognition of the strategic role and contribution of Inuit, including prioritizing Inuit access to federal procurement in relation to National Defence focused on Inuit regions?

Hon. Claude Carignan: Minister, despite the fact that our soldiers have outdated equipment that does not guarantee their safety like it should, your department is leaving billions of dollars on the table every year by failing to streamline the procurement process.

In 2021, $1 billion of the $5 billion that was allocated to the Canadian military remained on the table. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, if that trend continues, National Defence will be leaving on the table at least $4 billion of the $10.8 billion that it was allocated to buy equipment during the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Even more embarrassingly, our soldiers sometimes have to buy their own equipment. Denmark has and uses state-of-the art equipment that is made in Canada that our own soldiers don’t even have access to.

Minister, what tangible measures have you taken to address this unacceptable situation?

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