QUESTION PERIOD — Public Services and Procurement
Buy Canadian
June 2, 2026
Senator Moreau, welcome back. It is great to see you in good shape.
On December 16, 2025, the Carney government rolled out its new federal procurement rules, which were first announced in September. The Buy Canadian Policy seeks to protect and prioritize Canadian workers and industries and strengthen Canada’s domestic economy. Six months into the program, can you speak to us about some of the early takeaways from the implementation of this made-for-Canada procurement policy?
For instance, how often are departments and agencies using one of the five exceptions listed in section 4.6 of the policy to exclude Canadian companies in their bid to procure goods and services to the federal government? Have the eligibility criteria used to define a Canadian supplier posed any problems or raised any concerns among Canadian businesses?
Thank you for the question. I cannot provide specific numbers, as they would partially be protected by commercial confidentiality. But the idea behind this whole thing is that, as the largest public buyer of goods and services, the government remains committed to using its purchasing power to support Canadian businesses and workers. The goal of the new Buy Canadian Policy is to ensure that federal procurement supports the Canadian supply chain and businesses.
The exceptions you mentioned are only instances where the policy would cause significant project delays due to the use of Canadian materials, or if those materials are unavailable.
However, I can tell you that the policy is already making positive changes, as the government has invested over $950 million for the purchase of 55 new subway trains for Toronto’s Line 2 from Alstom’s facilities in La Pocatière and Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville in Quebec.
Thank you for that answer; it is very positive and hopeful. Naturally, this policy will strengthen our domestic small- and medium-sized enterprise, or SME, ecosystem by building a more resilient economy and shielding ourselves from global disruptions and unpredictable foreign events. I welcome the government’s announcement that it would launch a small and medium business procurement program by spring of 2026 as part of this overarching policy. What can you tell us about this new program? Please provide us with an update if you can.
Thank you. The government knows that SMEs are the backbone of our economy. I have had many opportunities to give that answer. As we have previously discussed, it is implementing a number of measures to spur their innovation, help them reach international markets and acquire new equipment to increase their productivity. The government is also overhauling the defence procurement policy. So it is working on many fronts to ensure that Canadians receive the best services and equipment they need.
