Ignatieff vows to fight F-35 'all the way'

When the hell have military procurement decisions ever been "democratic"?

Who's Ignatieff?

Your next Prime Minister.

Your next Prime Minister.


Not really, maybe the next minister of primetime.

Your next Prime Minister.


Not really, maybe the next minister of primetime.

I'll take his place as PM of Canada! If that don't tighten your sphincter nothing will.

Another obvious procurement need turned into a partisan gong-show.

The Liberals, in a unlikely moment of military procurement forethought, made a cash commitment to the F35 program in 2000.

What ever some of the frothier posters think, the F35 is the most viable combat system out there.

Our pilots and defence contractors have been involved in this program for many years.

We know this is the one.

Our military believe this is the bit of kit that will best serve our needs.Now its going to be another EH-101 type target for the Libs.

Our guys in Afghanistan could have used that extra naval air power of the EH101. Instead they have to rely on 50 year-old Sea Kings.

That’s what happens when procurement is just a political chess piece.

And that’s what Iggy is doing. Playing chess with the F35 program, its déjà vu on the EH01.

The CF-18 would be the next Liberal governments Sea King debacle.

The CF-18 would be the next Liberal governments Sea King debacle.

How? The original Cf-18 were an excellent purchase and one that has stood the test of time.

The advanced F-18E/F would also be a great purchase and frankly with the continuing reports of problems & cost I think having a prove combat aircraft would be a plus.

The Sea Kings were awesome when we first bought them as well.

But pretty much every piece of military equipment has a finite service life. The Sea Kings are well beyond theirs. The Hornets will be approaching their 30th birthdays soon. It is important we start the process of acquiring their replacement now.



The folks making the procurement decisions do not agree.

Politics and the military should not mix.

Politics and military procurement should not mix. All the same though, I don't see why alternatives to the F-35 can't be looked at, and why a competition can't be held. I have no trust of sole-sourcing unless there is an absolute need, or we are rebuying a piece of kit which previously prooved reliable (the chinook purchase). Even if the kit is thought of as the best out there, there should still be a competition to prove it.

Man Iggy must be getting desperate.

Now he's using Chretien's old tactics to try and win votes.

What's next. Read my lips. "No More HST"

Surely the Liberal brain trust could come up with something more compelling and inovative than a tactic that was beat to death nearly 20 years ago. It's almost like their just going throught the motions while waiting for a real leader to come along and drag them out of their doldrums.

Iggy is the wrong man for the job. He is as wooden as Kerry is in the states.

The F35 is not popular and enormously expensive. It will never be used. The rest of the military will need equipment as well.

I talked to people and they thought 40 planes or so would do and that Canada should re-equip for our traditional role as peace keeper. That would be transport ships and helicopters and that, which will also be hugely expensive.

The 65 fighters will cost $9 billion and another $7 billion to maintain. That is $246 million for each one. That is too expensive.

The polls are telling the Liberals the plane in un-understandable and unpopular and Ignatieff is going with it. So good.