$1:
Despite standing as one of the world's strongest supporters of the troubled F-35 and fighting an election, in part, on obtaining the aircraft, Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino admitted Tuesday the Conservative government hasn't ruled out walking away from the stealth fighter program.
Responding to NDP questions during an appearance before the Commons' defence committee, Fantino said the government remains supportive of the F-35, but the government had not made "the determinate decision" on whether it will purchase the F-35, and that it had not "discounted backing out."
Fantino also confirmed the government doesn't know how much each stealth fighter will cost.
"We can't give you that definitive number now," he said.
This is hilarious. They knew exactly how much they would cost 1 year ago, and insisted the price was locked in.
$1:
Stephen Harper says he stands by his cost estimate for the F-35 stealth fighters.
The prime minister made the declaration Wednesday, even though the Pentagon's latest estimate for the version of the fighter jet Canada intends to buy is double what the Conservative government has projected.
In defending the $9-billion sticker price, Canada's Defence Department has said it will pay between US$70 million and US$75 million for each aircraft, a figure that the parliamentary budget officer has disputed.
The Pentagon recently projected it will pay $151 million for each aircraft for the F-35A, the standard runway take-off and landing version of the fighter bomber.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office, crunching numbers earlier this month, pegged the cost between $110 million and $115 million per plane. But defence experts said that report doesn't take into account recent changes to the program.
Harper says there are cost increases in the U.S. program that have no impact on Canada and he's confident of the numbers he's been given by officials.
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