Mr. Speaker, to say that the Conservatives are bad managers does not do justice to the magnitude of the F-35 fiasco.
In the past, the Prime Minister liked to puff out his chest and say that his government signed the F-35 contract.
On November 3, 2010, the Prime Minister said, and I quote: “It would be a mistake to rip up this contract...”.
In January 2011, he said that he found it “disappointing” and “sad” that some members of Parliament seemed to be “talking openly about cancelling the contract”.
It is funny but, today, with the estimated cost at an astronomical $46 billion, he seems a little less obstinate.
He is now siding with those he once accused of not liking our troops. That is a bit hypocritical.
In order to resolve this matter, the Prime Minister should admit that the Conservatives' management of the F-35 file was disastrous, that the only solution is to start over, and that the Minister of National Defence must finally assume his responsibility.
That is what the NDP is calling for. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is asking one of his members to repeat the same talking points 13 times.