House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 31% of the vote.
National Defence December 13th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the government says it expects delivery of the F-35s to begin in 2016, but senior U.S. military officers have testified that the aircraft will not become operational until at least 2018. All reasonable people would agree that with our already refurbished CF-18s unable to fly beyond 2020, the need to implement a plan B becomes obvious.
Will the Associate Minister of National Defence please tell us what is his plan B, and does it include fewer F-35s?
Questions Passed as Orders for Returns December 12th, 2011
With regard to the capability of the next generation of fighter jets: (a) what are the mandatory requirements that must be met; (b) how and why (the step by step process) were these requirements deemed to be mandatory; (c) on what basis was the determination made that the F-35A was the only aircraft that could meet all of the mandatory requirements; and (d) were there other aircraft considered and, if yes, on what dates and to which Department of National Defense’s divisions were provided the specifications concerning these other aircraft considered?
Questions on the Order Paper December 12th, 2011
With regard to the F-35s: what information was provided to the government about the aircraft’s capabilities indicating that they have the capacity to meet the Canadian Armed Force’s mandatory requirements?
National Defence December 12th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have left? I have about 10 seconds. We were with the speaking notes that everything is on the right track, and yet the associate minister now says that we may not buy 65 planes. Is this plan B, i.e., fewer planes that the minister talked about--
National Defence December 12th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I think I can count on the associate minister having found his speaking notes now.
The associate minister keeps saying that he is on the right track and yet he now says that we may not buy 65 planes. Does this--
National Defence December 12th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I presume that the associate minister has found his notes. “We are on the right track”, they say.
The associate minister keeps saying that he is--
National Defence December 12th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask a question about the F-35s. I will give the associate minister a few seconds to find his speaking notes to that question. I think they are the ones that begin with, “We are on the right track”.
National Defence December 12th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, here we have a twist on the usual accountability issue. Usually we do not get an answer to our questions. This time, the minister has decided to blame industry for the six-year delay.
Will the associate minister elaborate for us on his claim that industry is to blame, or will he take responsibility for the six-year delay, all of which has taken place under the Conservative watch? Will he tell us when our forces can expect to receive the equipment they need to do their job?
National Defence December 8th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I will have better luck with another topic.
In a speech on the U.S. Senate floor this week, Senator John McCain called the F-35 program “a scandal and a tragedy”. He said:
In fact, flight testing sufficient to demonstrate the full mission systems and weapons delivery capability of the F-35 aircraft has not even started.
Canada is the last country still clinging to cost estimates made 10 years ago, and clinging to talking points that no one believes.
As another simple question, does the minister agree or disagree with Senator McCain's comments?
Minister of National Defence December 8th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, why is it so difficult to get an answer to a simple question?
My colleague asked the associate minister a simple question, and he either knows the answer to that question or he does not. If he does not know the cost of the trip, then at least he owes this House that admission.
Again, how much did the transportation of the Minister of National Defence cost on July 9, 2010? Can the associate minister please answer that question, and can he tell us how many times the minister has used this aircraft?