QUESTION PERIOD — Global Affairs
Canadian Commercial Corporation
April 30, 2026
Senator Moreau, Canada has been steadfast in its support of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression. The government has announced time and again that it supports donations of aid and military equipment to Ukraine. Canadian companies have been contracted to refurbish and donate military equipment and aid to Ukraine by the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a Crown corporation. However, they face hurdles, delays and even cancellations of their contracts from CCC. Please note that I ascribe no ill intent on the part of the government and entities like the Crown corporation.
My question is this: What steps is the government taking to mitigate the bureaucratic delays and cancellations so that equipment can get to Ukraine in a timely fashion?
As you know, Senator Patterson, the government’s support for Ukraine has been steadfast and continues to evolve to meet the reality on the ground. I have indicated that many times.
I have no specific information regarding the Canadian Commercial Corporation, but I will raise the issue with the minister and provide what information I can, considering that Crown corporations must have the leeway to act at arm’s length from political interference.
The government is aware that defence procurement is currently fragmented across several departments, which makes the process too slow and convoluted to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the military. That is why it is founding the Defence Investment Agency, which will be responsible for equipping our military and driving economic benefits for Canada. The Spring Economic Update proposed $103.8 million over five years and an ongoing $22 million for the agency.
Thank you, Senator Moreau, for looking into this matter. We understand the delicacy of working with a Crown corporation to obtain this information.
However, would you also be able to obtain and share with the Senate data about how many delays are occurring and their length, as well as whether any suppliers have seen their contracts cancelled by the CCC? Thank you.
Yes, I will certainly do that, Senator Patterson, but this is a good opportunity for me to highlight that, in yesterday’s Spring Economic Update, the government proposed to provide $2 billion to support Operation UNIFIER, the Canadian Armed Forces military training professionalization and capacity-building mission in support of Ukraine. Thank you.
