Trudeau Gives $800 Million Navy Maintenance Contract To French Company

https://www.spencerfernando.com/2017/08/17/trudeau-gives-800-million-navy-maintenance-contract-french-company/

NewsSpencerFernandoAugust 17, 20170

Rather than support a Canadian-owned company, the Trudeau government has awarded a big contract to Thales – a company headquartered in France.

An $800 million contract to maintain and repair new ships for the Royal Canadian Navy has been given to a French company.

The contract is going to two companies called Thales Canada and Thales Australia. However, both of those companies are simply subsidiaries of Thales – a multinational company headquartered in France.

In the wake of the announcement, there is already concern from the Union of National Defence Employees about job losses among national defence workers as vacancies are left unfilled. By contrast, the government is claiming 2,000 jobs will be created for Canadian subcontractors.

Contract should have gone to Canadian-owned company

The Trudeau government has made a big mistake once again in refusing an opportunity to support a Canadian-owned company. When taxpayer money is spent by the government, every possible effort should be made to ensure it goes towards Canadian companies. Additionally, military maintenance should certainly be handled within our country, rather than being dependent on a foreign multinational company.

Canada must start begin strengthening our homegrown national defence capacity, both to strengthen industry and knowledge within Canada, and secure our country in the long-term.
Spencer Fernando