Rona Ambrose

[National Defence, September 20th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat is in place to ensure there is due diligence and transparency in our decision to replace the CF-18s. It includes a number of experts, including two independent members, one being a very well-respected former Canadian auditor general who is working with the secretariat.

No money has been spent on the purchase of any new fighter aircraft, and no money will be spent until the secretariat independently verifies the cost and the requirements to replace our CF-18s.

[National Defence, September 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows full well that we have accepted the recommendations of the Auditor General and have created a procurement secretariat to ensure that there is due diligence and transparency when we make the decision to replace our CF-18s. No money, at this point, has been spent and no money will be spent until the secretariat independently verifies the costs of the F-35s, and also the requirements necessary to replace the CF-18s.

[Questions on the Order Paper, September 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), no cuts were made to Status of Women Canada as a result of the recent federal budget.

In response to (b), PDF files of final reports of completed women’s program projects have never been posted on the Status of Women Canada website.

In response to (c), results of women’s program calls for proposals are posted on the Status of Women Canada website as they become available either through news releases or through proactive disclosure of grant and contribution awards.

[National Defence, September 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we have no conflicts with the Auditor General's findings and his recommendations. We agree with him. We think that the Department of National Defence needs to update its cost estimates to Parliament and to the government. In fact, we would like them to be independently verified, which is why we set up the secretariat, to ensure this level of transparency and due diligence is done.

The secretariat has hired KPMG to do that particular portion of the seven-point action plan, which is to independently verify the cost of the F-35 and also look at the cost assumptions that the Department of National Defence has used.

[National Defence, September 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it has been made very clear by the government that it accepts the recommendations of the Auditor General, which is why it set up the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat, to ensure transparency and due diligence is done in the replacement of our CF-18s.

No money has been spent on the purchase of any new fighter aircraft and no money will be spent until the secretariat independently verifies the cost and the requirements necessary to replace the CF-18s. We await KPMG's report on the cost of the F-35, and, of course, that report will be made public.

[National Defence, June 21st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, no money has been spent on the acquisition of any new fighter aircraft. In fact, to replace our aging CF-18s we have launched the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat. This arm's-length secretariat will ensure that the due diligence, oversight and transparency will be performed for this acquisition. Importantly, it also includes the advice of independent members, one being a former very well respect Canadian auditor general, Denis Desautels. We look forward to his support.

In the interest of taxpayers, we will not move forward with a purchase of any new aircraft until we have received the conclusions of the secretariat.

[National Defence, June 21st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we take responsibility in terms of meeting all the recommendations that the Auditor General has outlined in his report. Importantly, no money has been spent on the acquisition of any aircraft.

To replace our aging CF-18s, we have launched the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat. This arm's-length secretariat will be doing the due diligence very transparently and openly. We look forward to its conclusions.

[Shipbuilding Industry, June 21st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to our shipbuilding strategy, after a very competitive and successful process two Canadian shipyards were selected to build our ships for the Coast Guard and navy. This is a long-term industrial strategy. It will go on for decades, and it will create an estimated 15,000 jobs in the shipbuilding industry. There is a lot of work to be done, but I have every confidence that the navy, working closely with Irving Shipbuilding, and the Coast Guard, working closely with Seaspan on the west coast, will do what they need to do to deliver these projects. We will remain vigilant, overseeing the contracts as they unfold, but we are very proud of our commitment to build ships in Canada and we know Canadian—

[National Defence, June 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that the costing figures are available from the joint strike fighter program in the United States, but what we have said is that we want those figures, that would be cost estimates from the Department of National Defence, to be independently validated. The secretariat has asked for more time to do that. It wants to do this comprehensively. It is also looking at independently validating the cost assumptions that the Department of National Defence is using and meeting the recommendation of the Auditor General.

There is a lot of work to go through. We support it on this and we know that we have an excellent group of people around the table, including independent advice from a former--

[National Defence, June 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows the information as to why the secretariat is going outside for expert advice to independently validate the cost estimates that the Department of National Defence will put forward. We agree with that. We think it should do this job thoroughly and comprehensively. It has latitude within its terms of reference to bring in experts to help it.

In addition, all of those members who I have listed on the secretariat are accountable to this process, so they must be involved.