Define ‘Canadian’: questions loom over Carney’s ‘protectionist’ procurement policy push

‘It’s the equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot. But it’s popular politically,’ says financial policy expert Ian Lee of the prime minister’s move tapping into nationalist sentiment.
Feds’ digital transformation agenda faces critical risks, Shared Services warns in ministerial briefing

Competing priorities and a lack of financial incentives for various government departments to modernize are key hurdles facing the government’s digital services arm, a ministerial briefing package outlines.
Changes to rules for ‘national security’ contracts bypass competition and raise concerns of potential abuse, say procurement watchers

Loosening rules around the use of the National Security Exception may speed up defence procurement, but it could have trade-offs when it comes to accountability, say experts.
Reliance on IT contractors exposes feds to risk of foreign interference, experts say, as RCMP warns against North Korean infiltration

‘The point is, you have got to know who’s doing the work, and you got to know who you’re paying. It’s not splitting an atom; it’s basic due diligence,’ says the Centre for International Governance Innovation’s Aaron Shull.
‘We don’t have a choice here’: SecState for defence procurement Fuhr pledges to move ‘quicker,’ take more risks

‘We’re going to build out the Canadian defence industrial complex at a speed and magnitude we just haven’t done before,’ Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr told defence industry leaders on Aug. 8.
Feds spent at least $1.7-billion on defence contracts in the first half of 2025, about 16 per cent of which went to U.S. companies: data

U.S.-based companies received more than $68.6-million in DND contracts between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2025, which is a 24-per-cent increase over the same period the previous year.
Feds need to ‘rethink’ industrial benefits policy and refocus on defence capabilities, say former senior officials: it ‘needs to evolve’

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada needs ‘to go back to basics and make sure it’s using the policy to build defence capabilities in Canada,’ says former senior public servant Clem Srour.
Feds’ new ‘reciprocal procurement’ policy to limit foreign access to contracts amid U.S. trade tensions

The new policy is a testament to the ‘changing world order,’ says Liberal strategist Geoff Turner. ‘Now, if you do not have a procurement agreement through either a free trade agreement or other generalized agreement, you don’t get to play in Canada.’
Trade tribunal calls for freeze on multimillion-dollar defence contract after complaints it favours U.S. supplier

Highly restrictive bid criteria made competition ‘impossible’ for Canadian and European companies to secure the contract for military night-vision goggles, says a filing from Canadian defence company Cadex.
BC Ferries story reveals Canada’s confused policy on China

What basic message are we sending as we condemn the purchase of Chinese-made ferries while profiting from our sale of goods and services to China?