House of Commons Hansard #65 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was panama.

Topics

National DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, in the beginning the government told us that it would only cost $75 million per F-35. When the experts told us that this was absolutely unrealistic, it changed its story and said we will get the 65 planes for $9 billion. Now we find out that the associate minister of defence is telling us that the number 65 is really not a hard number; the government is looking at it, evaluating it.

Is the minister telling us that the government is now going to buy fewer than 65 airplanes?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Vaughan Ontario

Conservative

Julian Fantino ConservativeAssociate Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, all reasonable people agree that we need aircraft to defend Canada and Canadian sovereignty. As we have said many times before, our plans are on track. We are providing our brave men and women the best equipment at the best price to do their jobs safely and effectively while supporting--

National DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

National DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order, please.

The hon. member asked the question. The associate minister is entitled to a response.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Julian Fantino Conservative Vaughan, ON

Mr. Speaker, we are providing our men and women the best equipment at the best price to do their jobs safely and effectively, while supporting an industry that employs 80,000 Canadians.

Unlike the opposition's job-killing agenda, our government will continue to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to renewing--

National DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The hon. member for Saint-Jean.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Tarik Brahmi NDP Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, today, we learned that we will have to wait another six years before the first military truck is delivered. The trucks that our soldiers are currently using are a safety hazard, and this government is blaming suppliers. How many more botched military procurement contracts will taxpayers have to pay for? We do not know.

Can the Minister of National Defence explain the mismanagement that is delaying the replacement of the rusty trucks used every day by Canadian soldiers?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Vaughan Ontario

Conservative

Julian Fantino ConservativeAssociate Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected our government to equip our Canadian Forces with the best aircraft and the best equipment for our men and women to benefit their work and enable them to carry out their missions in a safe environment, and to do so at the best price for taxpayers' dollars.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON

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 DefenceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Vaughan Ontario

Conservative

Julian Fantino ConservativeAssociate Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, while the member opposite continues to criticize our decision to purchase the best equipment for our men and women in the services, we intend to continue with the program. The program is on track creating jobs right across the country, in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Why does the member opposite want to kill Canadian jobs?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON

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 DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order. We only have one week left. I would ask all hon. members for their co-operation to have a little bit of order.

The hon. member for Beaches—East York.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON

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 DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order. The hon. member for Beaches—East York.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON

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 DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I am giving the hon. member some extra time because he has been interrupted so many times. The hon. member for Beaches—East York is entitled to put his question.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON

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 DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I am afraid we are off to a rough start this week. I will give the floor to the hon. associate minister.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Vaughan Ontario

Conservative

Julian Fantino ConservativeAssociate Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, even my grandchildren would not stoop to answer that silly question.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Tarik Brahmi NDP Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question was definitely not concise but at least it was simple. On November 16, here in this House, the minister presented his famous plan B. The real problem with the purchase of the F-35s is not that Lockheed Martin has production problems, but rather that this minister proves, day after day, that he is incapable of managing the F-35 file.

What is the famous plan B that my colleague wanted to hear about?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Vaughan Ontario

Conservative

Julian Fantino ConservativeAssociate Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, our plan is on track. We are intending to buy the best aircraft for our men and women in the services. That aircraft is the F-35, which Canada, along with eight other partners, feels is the best aircraft for our men and women. Our plan is on track.