Ottawa making progress on defence purchasing reforms, Fuhr says

Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement), holds a press conference regarding the Defence Investment Agency in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Ottawa is now well into its defence procurement reforms and plans to introduce changes to make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to navigate government contracting.

That’s according to Secretary of State for defence procurement Stephen Fuhr, who’s overseeing changes to how the federal government buys equipment for the military.

He says the Defence Investment Agency, an new office created to streamline the procurement process, will soon become a stand-alone agency and a “one-stop shop” for industry.

It is currently housed within a government department but the government plans to introduce legislation to change that this spring.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said earlier this week the government should be cutting bureaucracy, not adding more of it.

Fuhr says the government has picked up the pace on military purchasing already and is shaving years off its submarine procurement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2026.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press