Evidence of meeting #54 for National Defence in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was money.
A recording is available from Parliament.
March 21st, 2011 / 4:20 p.m.
VAdm Bruce Donaldson Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, Department of National Defence
One is deeply in it. The other one, I think, is just going in.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Peter MacKay Conservative Central Nova, NS
There's another just about to come into the shipyard.
We also have under way the submarine project, which is to ensure the long-term sustainability, viability, of those vessels.
Then we come to the building of essentially new ships, frigates, our destroyers, the supply ships that I've mentioned. There also is a number of ships being built for Arctic patrol. We have an icebreaker in the queue. Similarly, there are Department of Fisheries and Oceans vessels that will be built as part of the national shipbuilding plan.
So the shipbuilding plan is in the slipstream, if you will, of the Canada First defence strategy as it pertains to shipbuilding in Canada. This will be the largest single injection of resources, both human and financial, in shipbuilding in several decades. We'll see the revitalization, in my view, of the Canadian shipbuilding industry coast to coast to coast. There will be work for shipyards large and small.
To speak to the process in further detail, I would suggest that we can bring to the table Dan Ross, the assistant deputy minister of materiel.
It's done in conjunction with the public works department and the industry department. This process will be competitive. It will be merit-based. It will be done in such a way that the shipyards will have an opportunity to present themselves for consideration. A competitive process will determine whether and if these shipyards can meet the criteria. Then they will be invited to make a particular proposal.
The member will know, and has alluded to the fact, that this is very important to shipyard workers, employees, labour unions across the country. We're very confident that it is moving forward. The process is well under way. It's been--pardon the pun--launched.
We are now in a process of six to nine months to determine where the centres of excellence will be--that is, determining who will build the surface combatants, the large vessels, and who in turn will be tasked and requested to build the smaller of the vessels, including some of the coast guard vessels, the fisheries and oceans vessels that I referred to, that are part of the overall package.
We're looking at somewhere in the range of $35 billion to $40 billion injected into shipbuilding, to build in excess of 100 ships, large and small. Depending on the capability of the shipyards, depending on the timing that we can get through this process in an open and transparent and fair way, I'm very confident that we are going to see a revitalization of the Canadian navy and the continued proud traditions, coming on 100 years, of what the Canadian navy has done for our country, that will allow us to protect our coastline and project Canadian interests well into the future.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
Well, we got the infomercial. Maybe in the next round....
Bryon has some cutting and aggressive questions, so maybe he'll....
4:20 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier
Now I will give the floor to Monsieur Bachand.
Do you have another nice question like that?
4:20 p.m.
Bloc
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
I always have nice questions.
Mr. Chair, my question pertains to vote 10b and the closing of Camp Mirage. It says that amounts may be allocated to recipients, to people for—
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier
Mr. Bachand, I would remind you that we are discussing votes 1c and 5c.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier
I may be able to interpret it in a much broader sense. If you could ask more general questions without referring to that vote specifically, it might be acceptable.
I am being told that that item has already been agreed to, in any case.
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Fine. In that case, may I do the same as Mr. LeBlanc and ask the minister a question for information purposes?
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
That is very kind of you. Thank you.
Mr. Minister, the vote refers to goods, services and the use of facilities.
Are the costs related to moving and closing Camp Mirage included in vote 10b? If not, where can I find that information?
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Peter MacKay Conservative Central Nova, NS
You're right, they're in vote 10b. We're here to discuss 10c, so I would point you back to the document you're reading from. You'll find there the costs associated with the close-out of Camp Mirage.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Vote 10b talks about the “use of facilities”. I was under the impression that the costs associated with closing Camp Mirage would be included in that.
Otherwise, where can I find those costs?