Ignatieff to cancel F-35, CPC poll numbers in Quebec about to take off

For a guy who's having trouble getting his poll numbers up in Quebec, you'd think he'd avoid talking about killing the Canadian aerospace industy, a MAJOR employer in La Belle Province.

Add to that the fact that it's the Sea King fiasco all over again... how much has that political blunder cost us again? If this gets spun right, look for Iffy to take a SERIOUS hit in the upcoming by-election in Quebec... which pundits were predicting the Liberals might have taken from the Bloc, at least before this gaffe. Also look for the CPC to get a slight uptick there as they stand in defence of the Canadian aerospace industry.

Iggy says he will scrap F-35 jet deal
By BRIAN LILLEY, Parliamentary Bureau
Last Updated: October 27, 2010 6:06pm

OTTAWA — Canada’s aerospace industry would lose billions in contracts if the F-35 fighter jet contract were to be cancelled, according to documents obtained by QMI Agency.

A copy of the Memorandum of Agreement that jet maker Lockheed Martin uses with its Canadian suppliers states clearly that Canada must be a partner in the Joint Strike Fighter program for Canadian suppliers to be able to bid.

In a section on requirements for a supply contract to remain in force, the memo lists several stipulations including: “C. the Government of Canada remains a Level 3 participant and procures JSF Aircraft as currently reflected in the JSF PSFD MOU dated December 31st, 2006.”

The document was provided to QMI Agency by an industry source on the same day Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff promised to cancel the order of 65 jets if he forms government after the next election.

“We would cancel the accord reached by the Conservative government in July,” Ignatieff told reporters after the Liberal Party’s weekly caucus meeting.

The Liberals point to the auditor general’s report detailing cost overruns and delays in the purchase of military helicopters as their reason for deciding they would cancel the jet purchase. Ignatieff has promised that if he becomes prime minister, he would also hold a competition to choose the replacement for the CF-18s which were supposed to be replaced starting in 2003.

Under the current agreement to purchase 65 jets at a cost of $9 billion, Canada’s aerospace industry is eligible to bid on sub-contracts for the 3,000 to 5,000 jets that are scheduled to be built. The industry estimates that could return $12 billion in contracts to Canadian aerospace firms.