Media Room
Speeches
Speaking notes for the
Honourable Scott Brison
Minister of
Public Works and Government Services Canada
OSME Consultation Workshop
September 23, 2005
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Check against delivery
Good morning ladies and gentlemen.
I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it first thing this morning, but I understand Walt Lastewka did a terrific job in providing the context behind why we’re holding these workshops.
We want small businesses to be partners in progress in providing increased value for taxpayers as we move ahead in changing the way we do business as a government.
I come at this as someone who has a natural affinity for business. My grandfather was in the pulpwood business. My mother and father owned a general store for 23 years. In fact, our family lived in a house attached to the store. My dad just retired a month ago. But at 82, he’s now starting his fourth career working with my brother’s real estate development company.
As a kid, I had a lawn mowing business. I picked up old bottles from the side of the road for recycling money. And at the age of 19, I started a business renting mini fridges to university students. We had two brochures – one for parents showing the fridges filled with yogurt, fruit and vegetables – another for the students showing the fridges overflowing with Keiths and Labatts.
So I’d like to think that I understand small business. I certainly know that it’s the engine of growth for the economy. In Canada, small business accounts for almost half of the growth of the economy, for 65% of the jobs, and 75% of net employment growth.
And we want small companies to continue doing business with the Government of Canada.
These are exciting times for the Department of Public Works. We’ve been given the mandate to take a government-wide business-wide approach to the way we purchase goods and services. That means better leveraging our purchasing power, consolidating what we buy on behalf of the government and using innovative technologies to streamline the procurement process.
Above all it means an improvement in the quality and delivery of service as well as savings in cost.
In fact, we intend to save $2.5 billion over the next five years by buying smarter. And that’s a very significant part of the $11 billion in savings over five years that was part of Expenditure Review.
Frankly a lot of politicians prefer spending money to saving it. I’m the kind of guy who likes to save money. Since becoming minister in July 2004, my mantra has become “respect for hard-earned tax dollars”.
And that’s why I’m so energized by our new approach to procurement.
Most companies applaud what we are doing. However some small business owners are wondering how the changes we are making might impact their ability to do business with the government. And that’s what brings us here today.
We are here to listen. This is a real opportunity for you to help develop ideas and forge a consensus on the type of policy direction we need to take.
We are serious about reaching out.
Our department has already taken several measures to help small business.
You may know that we have eliminated the user fees on MERX for all federal opportunities. We have introduced easy-to-understand language in our contracting documents.
We are enhancing the role of Business Access Canada, formerly known as Contracts Canada.
We are clarifying the exceptions to our policy on mandatory standing offers to be more flexible.
We’re seriously considering refreshing standing offers to help those who were caught somewhat flat-footed by the changes so they can get back in the mix. We’re also looking at re-competing some standing offers as early as possible.
And of course as I announced on Monday, we’ve opened the new Office of Small and Medium Size Enterprises. I’m sure you have already met the new dynamic director general, Marshall Moffat, here this morning.
This office is there for you. It has a clear mandate to help SMEs navigate the government procurement system and act as an ombudsman for businesses within government.
I am confident that we can harness the power of smaller companies to help get better value for taxpayers. And I am committed to making it easier – not harder – for small businesses to work with the federal government as partners in progress to provide increased value for taxpayers.
I’m eager to hear the outcome of your discussion in your own words – I look forward to completely uncensored feedback – later this afternoon.
But before you get back to your hard work, I’m willing to entertain some questions.
Go ahead please.
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