Madam Speaker, I have some big news. Yesterday, the government announced that Davie will not get to build a single ship. Instead, starting in 2021, it is getting just one maintenance contract worth less than 2% of the shipbuilding strategy.
Thanks to delays at Irving and Seaspan, the Asterix is the only ship the government has received. Davie, the best shipyard in America, delivered that ship on time and on budget. However, despite the success of the Asterix, the government has been slow to award it the Obelix contract, yet it can offer risk-free guarantees to the wealthy Irving corporation.
Could the minister explain why he is so intent on undermining Davie? Why the fixation?