Rona Ambrose

[National Defence, October 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am not clear if the member is opposed to using outside experts and independent members to review the work that we are doing, but I am definitely in favour of it. That is why we set up the national federal procurement secretariat and we have two independent members sitting on that secretariat. In addition, we are hiring external firms with external experts. We want to get this right. We have not spent any money on the acquisition of any aircraft to replace the CF-18, and we will not spend any money until we do the full due diligence, and that is what these firms are hired to do.

[National Defence, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that the secretariat has been set up to ensure that the entire seven-point action plan is handled appropriately with due diligence and transparency so that the government can move forward with the decision to replace the CF-18s.

In terms of taxpayer money, there has been no money spent on the acquisition of any fighter jets to replace the CF-18s and until we have all the information necessary, a decision will not be made.

[National Defence, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, we accepted the Auditor General's one recommendation, which was to ask the Department of National Defence to table updated cost estimates for the F-35. We decided to go further than that. We put in place a seven-point plan and every part of that plan has to be independently verified. This review will help us make a decision on the replacement of the CF-18s and until all of those seven points are independently validated, we will not move forward.

[National Defence, October 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that the mandate of the secretariat is publicly available, but I can share all the information with him again, if he needs it. That also includes the composition of the membership of the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat.

As I said, and he knows well, no money has been spent on the acquisition of the replacement for the CF-18s and we will not acquire new fighter jets until the secretariat does the due diligence necessary, looks at all of the options available and independently verifies the cost to replace the CF-18s.

[National Defence, October 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned yesterday, and the member knows it, the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat was set up, and it includes a member from the Department of national Defence, to do the due diligence necessary to replace our CF-18s. No money has been spent in the acquisition of new fighter aircraft and no money will be spent before the secretariat does all of the work necessary to independently verify the costs and the options available to replace our aging fleet of CF-18s.

[National Defence, October 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat was set up to do this substantive work. Its work is ongoing. It is doing excellent work. It includes all of the senior deputy ministers involved on the procurement file, led by Public Works, and two independent members, including a very well respected former auditor general for Canada. The Department of National Defence will be managing the portion of the options analysis and, again, it is continuing with its work. It is doing substantive work, and I would ask the member to be patient.

[National Defence, October 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, my former answer was clear. Part of the mandate that is led by the national Fighter Procurement Secretariat, which is in place to ensure due diligence in the replacement of our CF-18s, is to ensure that all of the steps taken in this acquisition are independently validated. Part of that is the costs, which the Auditor General recommended, but the other is to also look at a full range of options to replace the CF-18. Therefore, the answer is yes.

[National Defence, October 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat was set up to ensure there was due diligence in the decision to replace our CF-18s. We are not going to be purchasing any new fighter aircraft for the air force until the seven-point plan, as outlined for the mandate of the secretariat, is completed, including an independent verification of costs. That substantive work has begun. It is ongoing. It is doing very good work and that includes an options analysis, which is a full evaluation of choices to replace the CF-18.

[Status of Women, October 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's invitation. I am aware of the forum and I am very pleased to see that it is being held. I will see what I can do to get there.

However, I would like to take this opportunity, and I am sure she would join me, to congratulate the recipients of the Governor General's Persons Award who will be receiving them tomorrow. We are very proud of them, and for the first time there are two youth recipient awards this year.

[National Defence, October 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that we have an ongoing process in place right now.

The National Fighter Procurement Secretariat has been set up in order to ensure the level of transparency that we believe is necessary and the level of due diligence that has been asked for by the Auditor General, while we make our decision to replace the CF-18s.

At this point, no funding has been spent on the purchase of any new aircraft and no money will be spent until the secretariat independently verifies the costs necessary to replace our aging CF-18s.