Rona Ambrose

[Member for Papineau, November 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as a member of Parliament from Alberta, I was very disappointed in the comments by the member for Papineau. We knew of course that this anti-Alberta attitude was deeply held in the Liberal Party but we did not know how close to the surface it was. Yesterday, I think honourably, the Liberal Party's senior spokesperson on natural resources was forced to resign after his divisive anti-Alberta comments.

I would like to ask the member for Papineau if he is going to do the right thing, the honourable thing, and also resign from his critic portfolio.

[National Defence, November 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, there has been a secretariat set up that includes not only all the senior public servants who manage military procurement but two additional independent members, one of whom is a former, very well-respected Canadian Auditor General. They are overseeing this process.

All of the reports will be posted online. They will be available for the public to see. In terms of the statement of requirements, I said yesterday that the secretariat will undertake a full options analysis. The statement of requirements will be set aside while that full options analysis is done.

[National Defence, November 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I think there is nothing more transparent than committing to table the updated cost estimates for the F-35 here in Parliament so that parliamentarians and all Canadians can take a look at those.

The reason for the delay was that the independent firm we hired needed more time to do the independent validation of the Department of National Defence's work. My understanding from the secretariat is that the report is forthcoming, and I look forward to sharing it with Canadians and Parliament.

[National Defence, November 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, the options analysis is a full evaluation of choices, not simply a refresh of the work that was done before. That review of options will not be constrained by the previous statement of requirements.

[National Defence, November 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the level of oversight and transparency on this acquisition is unprecedented. We are not going to purchase any replacements for the CF-18 until all of this due diligence is completed. I have told the member previously of a full options analysis, which is a full evaluation of all choices, not simply a refresh. When it comes to the statement of requirements, the review of options will not be constrained by the previous statement of requirements.

[National Defence, November 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the amount of oversight and due diligence that is being applied to this file is unprecedented. Since the Auditor General's report came out, this government has established a secretariat made up of senior members, including also independent members, one of whom is a very well respected former auditor general of Canada, Denis Desautels, to oversee this process.

The funding has been frozen for the acquisition to replace the CF-18s, and we are looking at all options on the table at this point. We will not purchase any new aircraft until this due diligence is completed.

[Public Works, November 21st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this has been a terrible tragedy. All the employees at Public Works have been feeling this for the last three years with this employee's family. It has been a very difficult time for the family and for the employees who worked with the deceased. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Since this happened, we have introduced enhanced training and management oversights for all heating and cooling plants in the national capital region. We have been working closely with the union and the union head, Donna Lackie, has said that they are confident that the measures we have put in place will ensure the proper training so this does not happen again.

Again, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), (b), and (c), Public Works and Government Services Canada, PWGSC, has issued the following contract: number 24062-130078/001/ZQ, with an effective date of September 6, 2012 and an end date of January 31, 2013. With regard to (d), the contract was awarded to KPMG LLP by PWGSC on behalf of Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. With regard to (e), the value of the contract, including three contract amendments, is $705,854.50.

For further information regarding this contract, please consult the following link: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?mthd=tp&crtr.page=1&nid=693859&crtr.tp1D=1.

[National Defence, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence's comments reflect a respect for the process that has been set up, a process that is about strengthening the process and about doing the proper due diligence that has been asked for by the Auditor General. We are following his recommendation, which was to bring updated cost estimates to Parliament on the F-35. Further to that, we are independently validating them, but we also will be looking at a full range of options to replace the CF-18.

[National Defence, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that we will not be purchasing any replacements for the CF-18s until this seven-point action plan has been completed, including an independent verification of the cost estimates for the F-35 and a full options analysis. That full options analysis will be a full evaluation of all of the choices and will not simply be a refresh of the work that has already been done. We look forward to that work being done.