Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of National Defence announced his plans to rent or purchase 15 new search and rescue helicopters at a cost of approximately $600 million.
The minister was unable to give any guarantees this morning that the new helicopters would be less expensive than those the Conservatives planned to buy.
Even worse, there will be no Canadian content requirement for bidders. When we know that the aerospace industry is based mainly
in the Montreal region and that barely two months ago, the same minister awarded, without tender, a $2 billion contract for armoured personnel carriers to Ontario, this is simply outrageous.
The minister announces his expenditures on military equipment in dribs and drabs. How much will the final bill be, including on board helicopters and submarines, the next items on his shopping list?
While this government makes savage cuts in social programs and unemployment insurance, the army gets the royal treatment. This says a lot about the priorities of this government.