Background: (2007) 40% of military contracts non-competitiv

[Oscar]

(2007) 40% of military contracts non-competitive: report

[ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/06/ ... nding.html ]

June 11, 2007 | 12:29 PM ET CBC News

Ottawa awarded more than 40 per cent of its military contracts over the last year without fully competitive bidding, and the value of these contracts has doubled over the past two years, says a report released Monday.

The report by the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found more than $16 billion in major military equipment contracts had a "limited tendering process."

The centre relied on publicly available information from a database of federal contracts awarded by the Department of Public Works and Government Services on behalf of the Department of National Defence.
The report also slammed Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor for his work as a lobbyist for 28 firms, including five of the world's top 10 defence contractors, "almost all seeking government contracts during the period just prior to his appointment as defence minister."

"This report raises the alarm on the use of public dollars, and the need for greater transparency and federal accountability in military contracting," executive director Bruce Campbell said in a news release.

The report's authors urged the government today not to sign any new military contracts valued at more than $100 million pending reports by the auditor general and the Commons Standing Committee on National Defence, expected by the end of the year.

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[ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/06/ ... nding.html ]

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HARPER ANNOUNCES $15 BILLION IN NEW MILITARY SPENDING

[ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/06/ ... 62006.html ]

CBC News Online | June 22, 2006

For military buffs, all next week should be like Saturday morning at Canadian Tire. That's because, with Parliament having risen, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is set to announce the Conservatives' much-trumpeted plan to buy new transport aircraft, helicopters, ships and trucks for the Armed Forces.

In all, the purchase is expected to total roughly $15 billion, to be spread out over several years. And according to the CBC's French-language service Radio-Canada, Harper will unveil the plans in a series of announcements from Quebec to central Ontario to Alberta in a bid to underline the local benefits from such a massive procurement.

According to news reports and what the military has said to date about its requirements, the purchases are expected to fall into five categories:

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[ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/06/ ... 62006.html ]

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Federal government quietly releases $490B military plan

[ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/ ... -plan.html ]

June 20, 2008 | 4:51 PM ET CBC News

The Conservative government has quietly released the details of its extensive plan to beef up the military, including spending $490 billion over the next 20 years to ensure Canadian soldiers are well-equipped, well-trained and highly active.

Details of the plan, known as Canada First Defence Strategy, were posted Thursday night without fanfare on the Department of National Defence's website.

The posting comes almost six weeks after Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced at a news conference that his government had a strategy for the military but provided few details about it. Critics at the time said the strategy was nothing more than a speech, since Harper offered no document to back it up.

Speaking in Halifax on Friday, Defence Minister Peter MacKay defended the nighttime posting of the plan, saying the government was simply striving to provide more specifics about the strategy to Canadians.

Military analyst Rob Huebert told CBC News that he can't understand why Harper would release the document so quietly, and why he would do so the day before the House of Commons is expected to adjourn for the summer.

Still, he praised the document's contents, saying the strategy appears to be a well-balanced assessment that juggles the military's commitments at home and overseas.

"I'm hard-pressed right at this point, looking at it, to be really overtly critical," said Huebert, associate director of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies in Calgary. "I do think they've got a good balance on this particular aspect."

The opposition also questioned the timing and delivery of the announcement in Parliament Thursday.

Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner said posting the information online in the "dead of night" sounded like the actions of "a government with something to hide."

But Laurie Hawn, MacKay's parliamentary secretary, pointed to Harper's previous announcement, saying the information had already been posted on the government website and that Canadians "wanted more details on it."

$60 billion on equipment

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[ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/ ... -plan.html ]


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MacKay announces $274M for military vehicles

[ http://www.calgaryherald.com/MacKay+ann ... story.html ]

Canwest New ServiceJanuary 9, 2009 10:01 AM

CFB VALCARTIER, Que. — Federal Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced Friday $274 million for the purchase of 1,300 vehicles for the military.

The "militarized commercial off-the-shelf vehicles" will be used to support operations by the Canadian Forces inside Canada, MacKay said.

MacKay made the announcement at CFB Valcartier, near Quebec City, with Josee Verner, minister of intergovernmental affairs.

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[ http://www.calgaryherald.com/MacKay+ann ... story.html ]


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$274-million contract to replace trucks goes to U.S. company

[ http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/n ... 9fddd4f3f8 ]

Marianne White, Canwest New Service January 10, 2009

Federal Defence Minister Peter Mac-Kay defended Friday a $274-million contract awarded to a U.S.-based company for the purchase of 1,300 logistic trucks for the Canadian military.

MacKay painted the announcement as good news for the Canadian economy in difficult times, but was forced to acknowledge the vehicles won't be built in Canada.

Illinois-based Navistar Defence LLC won the contract.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay announces a $274-million contract to buy 1,300 new trucks for the Canadian military from a U.S. company, Navistar Defence LLC.

"Let's keep this in perspective: This is one announcement on one contract for one vehicle that is necessary and it's timely," MacKay said, adding no Canadian company was able to meet all the requirements of the Canadian Forces.

The new fleet of all-purpose trucks, known as MilCOTS (Militarized commercial off-the-shelf vehicles), will replace the aging military trucks used to support operations by the Forces inside Canada.

The minister stressed that each dollar spent on the contract would generate a similar amount in economic activity within Canada. He said some component parts will be built in the country and that the maintenance will be carried out in Canada.

"We'll have mechanics working on these trucks. The supplies, the parts and the gas that are used in conjunction with the trucks will obviously be Canadian," MacKay said.

Representatives for Navistar said they are required by the contract to spend $274 million over the next seven years on goods and products from Canadian companies. For instance, the tires on the vehicles will be manufactured by Michelin in Nova Scotia.

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[ http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/n ... 9fddd4f3f8 ]

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Dear Editor,

Let me see if I have this correct.

Our government is going to spend 274 million dollars buying 1,300 "heavily armoured" trucks (thats $210,769 each - presumably US $ at that) for "domestic" use by the Canadian army from the USA, and then another 3 billion buying Italian planes, also to be made in the USA, to replace the aging fleet of Buffalo rescue planes on the west coast.

In Victoria and Calgary we know that Viking Air can do a better job for less money, actually 1.5 billion less, giving employment to Canadians whilst they are building and then servicing those planes, which they could then sell to the rest of the world However, when our government is claiming to be supporting Canadian people and companies, they are deliberately going to the USA for planes of Italian design. The only assumption to be drawn from this is Mr. Harper's promise that on the 16th October 2008 he would sign a trade deal with EU thereby giving European companies preference over Canadian companies in dealing with the federal government us now coming to roost.

"There is no point in having a trade deal if we do not have access to Canadian government contracts." - French President Sarcozy on or about 17th October.2008.

To the best of my knowledge this deal hasn't been signed yet but this plane production could be a forerunner of what is to come.

So now we are supposed to believe that the International Harvester Co of the USA is the only company that can make military trucks and the USA manufacturer of that Italian plane is the only one who can make those Buffalo plane replacements. Good grief, at a time when the Prime Minister is saying the opposition should be reaching out to help him solve the problems he has created, (cpac speech broadcast on 9th Jan 2009) he is going to spend nearly 3.5 billion in the US....no jobs or benefits to any Canadian workers (oooops I almost forgot Canada gets to supply the tires for the trucks), so we can really feel confident of his desire to help Canadian workers (and companies) now. I have one more question, and that is why do we need heavily armoured trucks for use in Canada? What on earth is the Government planning that would require such vehicles and will they not be very expensive to run with high gas cost due to the extra weight factor?

On top of that I also read that there is going to be 10 million spent to build and stock a depot here in Esquimalt in case of imaginary terrorist attacks on the BC ferry fleet. We have not had any terrorists who want us that badly until now and the only ones we have are already here and are internal North American companies which are destroying our manufacturing, resources and our ecology in northern BC and Alberta and killing our First Nations People there. How many shelters for the homeless and hungry could be supplied instead of a totally superfluous anti terrorist depot which will also probably be stocked with US made products, and uranium enriched ammunition ?

Please, let's bring on the Liberal/NDP coalition, assisted by the Bloque who appear to be more Canadian than the Conservatives, and let's rescue Canada from this insanely destructive course.

Jeremy Arney
Victoria BC

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January 11, 2009

Dear Mr. Prorogued Prime Minister,

Re: $274-million contract to replace trucks goes to U.S. company

[ http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/n ... 9fddd4f3f8 ]

Why you are giving Canadian jobs away to Americans? Did you prorogue Parliament for Canada or the USA?

Did you know that Costa Rica shut down its military in 1948 and put the money into education and health care instead? Costa Rica teaches us that we don't need the military. Why do you need heavily armoured tanks? Are you planning a treacherous anti-Canada action that will cause riots of gigantic magnitude?

I protest these tanks and your stealing from Canadians to give to the American corporate killing machine.

Freedom and peace grow from freedom and peace, not tanks.

Sincerely,

Jessica Ernst
Rosebud AB

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Stupid is as stupid does

12 Jan 2009

To: letters@theherald.canwest.com

Dear Editor,

Over a hundred Canadian soldiers are dead supporting America's failing invasion of Afghanistan. Last week - in the midst of a dire economic crisis - the Tories gave away desperately needed jobs and hundreds of millions of Canadian tax dollars to the U.S. Showing his appreciation, "Bush asserts U.S. sea power over Arctic straits", makes a mockery of our prorogued Prime Minister and threatens us.

Thank God Bush is on his way out; I pray to God that Harper is next.

Sincerely,

Jessica Ernst
Rosebud AB

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Firm lays off Canadians, sells Ottawa U.S. trucks

[ http://www.thestar.com/article/570638 ]

Hard-hit Chatham staff 'mad as hell' about deal

January 14, 2009 Linda Diebel NATIONAL AFFAIRS WRITER

The Canadian Auto Workers is criticizing the federal government for awarding a $254 million contract to a U.S. company to build trucks for the Canadian Forces at its plant in Texas while it is laying off workers at its plant in Chatham.

"Somebody has to explain to us why Canadian workers can't build military trucks for the Canadian military," said senior CAW executive Bob Chernecki, referring to a defence department contract to Illinois-based Navistar International Corp. to build 1,300 medium-duty trucks for the Canadian Forces.

Navistar sent out 500 layoff notices to its Chatham workforce last week, with another 200 expected in the spring. Chernecki said that would leave only 200 workers and the plant's survival is at stake.

"At the plant this morning, our guys were just dumbfounded; they're mad as hell," he said. "In the face of (layoffs) over the next few months, there is no legitimate credible reason" for Ottawa's decision.

"Doesn't the government know there's a manufacturing crisis in Canada?" he asked.

MORE:

[ http://www.thestar.com/article/570638 ]