NDP reacts to AG report on the F-35 purchase

NDP Defence Critic Heather McPherson issued the following statement in response to the Auditor General’s (AG) report on the government’s F-35 purchase:

“Tuesday’s report from the Auditor General makes it clear: the Liberal government’s plan to purchase F-35s has failed.

The government has failed to address the many risks associated with this project. The cost of the F-35s has nearly doubled, the construction of required facilities is years behind schedule, there is a shortage of qualified pilots, and the so-called contingency plan was not a plan at all.

Amid troubling threats to Canadian sovereignty from Donald Trump and now a scathing report from the Auditor General, it’s evident the F-35 is no longer the right choice for Canada.

This program has become a boondoggle and stands as a striking example of Liberal mismanagement. How can Canadians trust this government to handle the $9 billion increase in defence spending announced on Monday when it has failed so completely to manage this procurement?

This is the same government planning cuts to development, peace, and security programming at Global Affairs Canada. Furthermore, this failure brings an additional burden on women and men in uniform. How can CAF personnel trust this government to make the right decisions for them and their safety? That’s not responsible governance — and it’s not what Canadians expect or deserve.

New Democrats are deeply concerned that this government lacks a real plan — and that Mark Carney will continue to throw money at the problem, hoping it magically resolves itself.”