Ottawa Could Speed Up Military Procurement by Reducing Ministerial Oversight: Budget Officer

Ottawa Could Speed Up Military Procurement by Reducing Ministerial Oversight: Budget Officer
Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux waits to appear before the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance in Ottawa on Oct. 25, 2022. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Peter Wilson
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The speed at which Canada obtains its military equipment following the government’s budgetary allocations could be improved significantly if Ottawa were to cut down on the number of ministers overseeing those procurements, says Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) Yves Giroux.

Giroux told the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence on June 9 that the current system of having “at least two ministers and two departments involved in major procurement processes” is slowing down the rate at which Canada can acquire new defence equipment.