Stephen Fuhr wants to change how we arm the military: Canada is 'trapped outside the technology cycle'
OTTAWA — Not that long ago, former air force fighter pilot Stephen Fuhr was just one among many voices in Canada complaining about the way the federal government makes big defence purchasing decisions.
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At no point, he said, did it occur to him that he would wind up in his current position — as the prime minister's point person for fixing Canada's sclerotic military procurement system.
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'I find it very ironic that I was one of many that complained … why does it take so long?' said Fuhr, 56, in an interview with The Canadian Press.
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Fuhr knows first hand how the state of Canada's military procurement system feels to people on the ground — how Byzantine government rules make vital equipment purchases move at molasses speed, leaving soldiers and pilots without the tools they need to fight a modern conflict.
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The once-prominent critic of former prime minister Stephen Harper government's management of defence — notably the original F-35 stealth fighter procurement process — is stepping up to change how the system works.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney named Fuhr secretary of state for defence procurement on May 13, giving him a new, narrowly focused junior role in cabinet.
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The Carney government's focus on reforming defence procurement is happening as new threats emerge on the world stage — and as Canada and other NATO allies come under heavy pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to ramp up defence spending by a staggering amount.
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Canada is also looking for ways to bolster its domestic defence industry and partner more with Europe as it pivots away from a more isolationist and protectionist United States.
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For the first time in a long time, the military is a core government priority.
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'I feel good about it,' Fuhr said. 'Canadians are supportive of us being more involved in defence spending. There's a big opportunity for our industries and businesses in defence and being able to pull our weight on the world stage with our defence relationships.'
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It's also a moment of uncertainty — for Carney's government, for Canada and the world. Fuhr's background in the air force trained him to prepare for the unexpected.
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On Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked airliners and crashed them into major U.S. buildings, Fuhr was in Inuvik, where he was flying a CF-18 on force-projection exercises.
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