Procurement ombud Alexander Jeglic said the system lacks accountability and is too complex, often boxing Canadian firms out of the bidding process while awarding repeat contracts to bad performers. (The Logic)

Talking point: Canada is preparing to aggressively ramp up its military spending to meet new NATO targets, but Jeglic said Canada’s procurement rules are archaic compared with its allies. In a newly released report, he calls for Canada to streamline the mishmash of procurement regulations, laws, guidelines and frameworks to create a single set of rules for government procurement, keep a record of poor-performing contractors, and appoint a chief procurement officer to be accountable for government purchases. He also wants the department to make use of artificial intelligence when soliciting bids, which he said was notably left out of the AI strategy for the public service.