As Canada prepares for major new defence spending, UNDE National President June Winger delivered a clear message to the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence: the real issue is not simply how much money is being spent, it’s whether the system responsible for delivering results is capable, accountable, and sustainable.
Representing more than 22,000 civilian defence workers across the country, June emphasized that operational readiness depends on the public service workers who support the Canadian Armed Forces every day in trades, logistics, engineering, administration, firefighting, research, and many other critical roles.
“Quite simply: the military cannot function without the civilian workforce that supports it,” June told the committee.
Procurement is becoming more fragmented and contractor-driven
In her testimony, June warned that DND’s procurement and infrastructure systems have become increasingly reliant on contractors and subcontractors, while internal public service capacity continues to erode.
UNDE members are seeing the consequences firsthand:
- higher costs
- weaker oversight
- reduced accountability
- delayed projects
- inconsistent service quality
June noted that contracting out can result in markups of up to 35% compared to work being completed in-house, while also weakening long-term institutional expertise within DND.
She also raised concerns about the growing role of Defence Construction Canada (DCC), where contracting out has increasingly become the default approach for infrastructure delivery.
Public service workers are raising concerns — and being ignored
UNDE members working in trades and infrastructure continue to identify problems before they become crises, but too often those concerns are not acted upon.
June referenced the Military Family Resource Centre project at CFB Wainwright as one example where public service trades workers raised issues before the building was accepted, but those warnings were ignored. The facility later experienced major failures that forced its closure and displaced services for military families.
For UNDE, this is about more than one project. It reflects a broader pattern where outsourcing weakens oversight, fragments accountability, and sidelines the expertise of public service workers.
UNDE’s call: rebuild internal capacity
UNDE is calling on the federal government to change course by:
- rebuilding internal capacity within DND
- reducing reliance on contractors and subcontracting
- strengthening transparency and accountability
As defence investments increase, UNDE believes Canada must invest not only in infrastructure and equipment, but also in the skilled public service workforce required to deliver and maintain them properly.
“If we do not fix the system — its structure, its accountability, and its capacity — we risk sending money out the door that does not achieve outcomes for our country,” June told senators.