Canadian industry will lose billions on new Forces planes, Liberals charge

[tuvor]

OTTAWA - The Canadian aerospace industry stands to lose billions in economic spinoffs to the United States if the Conservative government proceeds with a plan to spend $2.5 billion on four massive C-17 long-range American-built cargo planes for the Canadian Forces, the Liberal opposition charged Monday.

Brandishing a leaked document from the Department of Public Works, the Liberals also accused the Conservatives of pursuing a politically motivated agenda for the military that ignores more pressing equipment needs for the Forces mission in Afghanistan.

The Liberals accused Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor of overriding his defence chief, Gen. Rick Hillier, who has no desire to buy the C-17s, but wants to acquire smaller, more versatile planes to replace decades-old Hercules transports, as well as armoured trucks and tactical transport helicopters for troops in Afghanistan.

Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh said the Conservative plan to buy the four C-17s would ''deprive our Canadian industry of $3 billion in economic benefits'' because there are no guarantees Canadian companies would be given the lucrative maintenance contracts.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=d7372841-6051-4542-8c46-af875c562168&k=29970

[daleo]

1. Ex defence industry lobbyist becomes defense minister

Followed by no-bid billion dollar contracts for aircraft. Coincidence?

After he is gone, he will perhaps take up with a pasta machine company. They say you can make $300K just for mailing a brochure.

[Jazz2006]

3. Can you say Karl Heinz Schreiber?

Or was the pasta machine reference only accidentally accurate?

:rofl:

[HuffleClaw]

2. harper enriching BUSH's friends

what a disgrace.