George Wallace
Army.ca Dinosaur
- Reaction score
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Veterans Affairs ending Commissionaires' $330M federal contracting right
OTTAWA — The largest private sector employer of veterans in Canada is calling on the Liberal government to reverse a decision to end a federal contracting entitlement which grants it first dibs on federal security guard contracts.
www.sudbury.com
Minister of Veterans Affairs announces ending Commissionaires' $330M federal contracting right
"The largest private sector employer of veterans in Canada is calling on the Liberal government to reverse a decision to end a federal contracting entitlement which grants it first dibs on federal security guard contracts."The Commissionaires have had the First Right of Refusal on government security contracts since 1925. That means that they have the first chance to take a contract or refuse it. Now we have rumours that Garda has successfully lobbied to have that Right removed, and open up all government security contracts to all Security firms.
The Commissionaires, have for years been facing much the same problems as the Canadian Forces when it comes to recruiting. They are short veterans willing to join the Corps of Commissionaires in their local. The Commissionaires have been hiring people with no military experience, mostly students, for quite some time now.
The question, though, no matter what problems the Commissionaires have in manning positions, does the Government have to break that vow with veterans that was made a century ago? The "First Right of Refusal" doesn't mean that all government security must go to the Commissionaires. It only means that they have the First Right to a security contract, or in turn refuse to take it. Is it really necessary to remove that legislation if the Commissionaires are at a state that they can not fill all contracts?
PS. If Garda maintenance of the Banking Machines at my bank branches can be used as an indicator, I personally hope they don't get any DND or Government contracts.
