AG slams Conservative mismanagement of F-35s

From aviation safety to F-35s, Conservative failures show a government struggling

OTTAWA —Today’s scathing report from the Auditor General paints a troubling picture of a government that is badly mismanaging the most basic duties of public administration, presenting misleading information about the costs of the F-35’s, and even putting Canadians’ safety at risk, according to New Democrats.

“The Auditor General has outlined a litany of bad decision making and failed accountability on behalf of Ministers,” said New Democrat MP Malcolm Allen (Welland). “From border inspections to aviation safety, Conservative mismanagement is putting Canadians safety at risk.”

The Auditor General saved his harshest criticism for the badly mishandled F-35 procurement process. He pointed squarely at the government for misleading Parliament about the costs of the program, and for sole-sourcing the contract to replace the aging CF-18s without proper approvals or documentation.

“The government knew the F-35s were going to cost more than anticipated — but they intentionally hid it from Parliament and the public,” said New Democrat MP Christine Moore (Abitibi-Témiscamingue). “This was an outrageous attempt to try and pull the wool over the eyes of Canadians.”

The report explains how the decision to purchase the F-35s was well underway nearly four years before the Conservatives revealed their plans to the public.

“We see a clear trend — from the G8 fiasco to the F35s — of these Conservatives hiding information from Canadians,” said New Democrat MP Matthew Kellway (Beaches-East York). “Canadians expect a government that is upfront, but Conservatives deliberately misled Parliament. They should apologize to Canadians.”