QUESTION PERIOD — Industry
Procurement Process
June 12, 2025
My question is for Senator Gold. Government procurement is a persistent barrier to innovation in Canada. It’s impossibly slow, onerous and expensive, especially for innovative companies. Innovators can spend years formally proving the value of their technology through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s Innovative Solutions Canada program. If the government decides to buy the tech, the company enters the Pathway to Commercialization program, yet it’s still a standard procurement process.
Canada’s new Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon recently expressed his commitment to champion our champions — fabulous — supporting homegrown innovation. However, I worry that the entrenched failings of the procurement system will prevent him from achieving his crucial objective.
Senator Gold, what concrete steps is the government taking to become the best customer for high value Canadian innovation, and what key performance indicators will be used to assess the effectiveness of procurement programs for innovation?
Thank you for your question. Canadians gave this government a clear mandate to deliver real change, and part of that work will be to spur innovation and investment. I understand that the government is actively listening to partners in industry, working to slash red tape and get a head start on milestone nation-building projects. As I’ve said now on several occasions, the Prime Minister has already tasked ministers with the responsibility to identify key goals, including Minister Solomon, and to evaluate what measures of success should be identified in those areas. I understand that this work is ongoing.
I will repeat, because I think it’s important, that this Prime Minister and this government understand the importance that innovation generally plays our economy and that in particular areas — whether it be quantum computing or the development of AI — this has contributed to our national security and to creating a new and future-oriented economy where Canadians can be world leaders.
Thank you for the answer, Senator Gold, and for the enthusiasm that I pick up in terms of where things are going.
The Liberal Party platform in 2025 proposed an office of digital transformation to centralize innovation procurement. We’ve seen how long it can take to create new institutional bodies. What strategies will be taken to quickly form this office, effectively proving that it will be capable of working at the speed of innovation, not at the speed of bureaucracy?
I don’t have information on that particular question. I do note with interest — as I think Canadians do — the recent appointment of Michael Sabia, who has a reputation and experience, both well deserved, for being a serious, focused person who also demands results. I expect that the team will be focused on achieving results in an expeditious way.
