Ottawa releases draft tender on purchase of new fighter jets

Sur le même sujet

• 

  25 janvier 2021 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Buy America: How Biden's Made-in-America plan could impact Canadian companies

  Canadian companies that bid on American government contracts could be cut out of the procurement process if Joe Biden follows through on his Buy American plan after he becomes U.S. president today, according to business and trade experts. Jan 20, 2021 4:00 AM By: Canadian Press Updated Jan 20, 2021 4:05 AM Canadian companies that bid on American government contracts could be cut out of the procurement process if Joe Biden follows through on his Buy American plan after he becomes U.S. president today, according to business and trade experts. Manufacturers and exporters in Canada supply a vast range of equipment to public works projects in the U.S. from school buildings to wastewater treatment facilities. But Biden's promise to prioritize U.S.-based suppliers and products made on American soil could hurt Canadian companies by blocking them from bidding for work, especially after he unveils an infrastructure plan next month. The Made-in-America endeavour could disrupt the Canada-U.S. supply chain and lead to significant trade tensions, experts say. Yet the hardest hit firms will be those directly involved in U.S. government contracts, they say. “If you're in the business of supplying government procurement projects like municipal infrastructure, those are the companies most at risk,” said Dennis Darby, president and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. Stricter Buy American rules for federal procurement could hurt manufacturing on both sides of the border, he said. “Manufacturers are so integrated across North America,” Darby said, noting that a lot of what Canadian companies make are the “bits and pieces” that go into the continental supply chain. “When U.S. manufacturers do well, so do Canadian manufacturers. We're all part of the same supply chain.” The biggest losers in an era of greater U.S. protectionism are likely to be a broad cross-section of Canadian firms supplying products to American municipalities, rather than specific sectors, experts say. Companies that supply pumping equipment for municipal water facilities, pipes for new sewage lines, or play structures for new playgrounds could all suffer, they say. Meanwhile, both Canada the U.S. already have “buy national” provisions carved out of existing trade agreements. Military procurements, for example, exclude foreign suppliers. Donald Trump pursued his own Buy American policies but it's unclear how much further Biden can expand these provisions without facing a legal challenge, said trade expert Lawrence Herman. “The question will be whether the expansion of the Buy American provision is permissible within the scope of the (World Trade Organization) agreement," said Herman, international trade lawyer at Herman and Associates. Yet the impact of the Buy American agenda on Canadian businesses could be widespread, he said. “There are a lot of Canadian companies that supply products to American municipalities,” Herman said. “They could all be affected.” Colin Robertson, one of the negotiators of the original Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and North American Free Trade Agreement, said Canada should come to the table with solutions. “If Biden goes through with this, you're going to hear from Canadian companies that feel they're being excluded from U.S. projects,” said Robertson, vice-president and fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. “You're almost better to deal with it on a one-by-one basis,” said the former Canadian diplomat. “If the guy who builds playsets in Ontario can't bid on a new playground, what you want to do is try and get the province and state to work something out.” If Biden's massive stimulus package is approved, the demand for construction materials – especially steel and aluminum – could be huge, Robertson said. But if the Buy American plan is ramped up and starts to affect materials from Canada, he said negotiators need to point out that ultimately they'll get better value including materials produced in Canada. “If you want maximum value for these dollars, it's better to open up bidding,” Robertson said. “The challenge with these sorts of Buy American programs is you can get cartels forming within your locality that drive up prices.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2021. Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press https://www.orilliamatters.com/national-business/buy-america-how-bidens-made-in-america-plan-could-impact-canadian-companies-3277010

• 

  4 septembre 2020 | Local, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Royal Military College staff, students won't know until mid-September if personal info compromised in cyber attack

  David Pugliese Students and staff at the Royal Military College won't know until mid-September whether their personal information has been compromised, more than two months after a cyber attack forced the shutdown of the organization's computers. An extensive review of information contained on the college's computer-based academic network is underway, according to the Department of National Defence. That network is used for general administration, student communications and research. “Initial indications are the extent of the compromise appears limited primarily to non-classified administrative information and correspondence,” DND spokeswoman Christina Kasper said in an email. “When the review is complete, a general statement based on findings will be shared with all network users regarding the extent of the compromise.” The cyber attack took place July 3. “If, during the course of the assessment, it is determined any personally identifiable information was compromised, individual network users who were found to be at risk will be immediately and directly contacted by the chain of command,” Kasper added. She noted that the office of the Privacy Commissioner was notified about the incident at the college in Kingston, Ont. RMC professors have been told not to access or retrieve their files on college computers, even with a USB stick. Staff and students have also been trying since July 3 to find out if their personal data has been compromised. But an email summary of an Aug. 25 town hall that took place to discuss the computer attack acknowledged very little information is being provided by the college. “Very few specific concerns were addressed in the town hall other than the presentation of the computer network issues that transpired and the way ahead for re-implementation of the RMC network,” the email to staff noted. “Personal data loss was mentioned as a possibility that had been brought up in the media. There is currently an ongoing investigation with the goal to determine define what may have transpired and to inform any that may be affected. No other details were provided.” Global News reported Aug. 18 that what appears to be data from the Royal Military College was leaked on the dark web. Many of the files appear to include student progress reports, acceptance letters, as well as a myriad of financial documents like tax receipts and budgets for various departments, Global News noted. DND has not confirmed whether the information on the dark web came from the college's computers. The college's academic computer system is separate from the operational computers used by DND and the Canadian Forces and corporate networks were not affected by the attack. “All early indications suggest this incident resulted from a mass phishing campaign,” said DND spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande. “This incident has not affected any classified systems or classified research at the Royal Military College.” The RCMP's National Cyber Crimes unit is investigating. Lamirande said the Royal Military College expects its fall academic term to begin as scheduled on Sept. 8. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/royal-military-college-staff-students-wont-know-until-mid-september-if-personal-info-compromised-in-cyber-attack/wcm/78796df3-0eb7-42a2-a057-e148b63c65ec/

• 

  19 décembre 2022 | Local, Naval

  Government has spent $4.8 billion so far on new warships — construction of first vessel expected in 2024

  The new figures presented to the House of Commons provide a limited window into some of the spending so far on the Canadian Surface Combatant or CSC project.