# Canadian Parliament Examines CRA Security Award

A Canadian opposition supply motion scheduled for debate on November 2, 2026, raises questions about the Canada Revenue Agency’s June 2026 security-services award, worth approximately $11.9 million, to Universal Protection Service of Canada Corporation, a subsidiary of U.S.-owned Allied Universal. In committee testimony, Procurement Ombud Alexander Jeglic said foreign ownership alone does not prevent a supplier from qualifying as Canadian under the Buy Canadian policy if it meets the policy’s Canadian business-presence criteria. The Ombud has not reviewed this procurement and has not concluded that the rules were misapplied; a broader study is expected in spring 2027.

- The award is under parliamentary scrutiny over how the Buy Canadian policy applies to a Canadian subsidiary of a foreign-owned firm; the scrutiny is not itself a finding of procurement non-compliance.
- Companies bidding on Canadian federal work should assess the policy’s Canadian business-presence criteria rather than treating foreign ownership alone as disqualifying.
- The awardee, its parent company, and competing bidders may face closer questions about transparency and how supplier eligibility is documented as the policy is applied.

**Jurisdictions:** international
**Industries:** Public Safety
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 02, 2026

### Government Entities
- Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
- Office of the Procurement Ombud (OPO)
- House of Commons Government Operations Committee
- Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

### Vendors
- Universal Protection Service of Canada Corporation (awardee)
- Allied Universal (parent company of awardee)
- Commissionaires (competing bidder)

### Key Quotes
> The definitions applied in the policy are dancing the delicate dance of still remaining compliant with our free trade obligations, while addressing what is a changing current within the international environment.
> — Alexander Jeglic, Procurement Ombud

> if a foreign-owned company can qualify simply by having a business presence in Canada, what is the policy actually changing?
> — Richard Bragdon, Member of Parliament

### Sources
- [Parliament Today: Conservatives use supply day to target chaplain prayer rules and a CRA security contract - The Hub](https://thehub.ca/2026/11/02/parliament-today-conservatives-use-supply-day-to-target-chaplain-prayer-rules-and-a-cra-security-contract) - The Hub | More Signal. Less Noise.
- [Procurement ombud tells committee foreign-owned firms can count as Canadian under Buy Canadian rules - The Hub](https://thehub.ca/2026/11/02/procurement-ombud-tells-committee-foreign-owned-firms-can-count-as-canadian-under-buy-canadian-rules) - The Hub | More Signal. Less Noise.