Court documents lift curtain on cutthroat world of military procurement
OTTAWA — If there’s one thing that stands out in court documents outlining the RCMP’s case against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, it’s the extremely cutthroat nature of military procurement.
It’s a secret world in which companies and high-priced lobbyists go to great lengths to win whatever multibillion-dollar contract is up for grabs.
That includes bringing pressure to bear on federal ministers and other government officials and trying to undermine competitors — and even the procurement system itself — through whatever means necessary.
“Industry is always going to do whatever they can to win a contract,” says Alan Williams, former head of military procurement at National Defence.