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F-35 Report From Auditor General Unlikely To Turn Canada Against Tories

The Huffington Post Canada  |  By Posted: 04/ 4/2012 10:44 am Updated: 04/ 4/2012 1:20 pm

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F35 Canada Auditor General
The auditor general's scathing report on the F-35 procurement process is unlikely to hurt the Tories at the polls. (CP/Getty)

Canada’s Auditor General, Michael Ferguson, released a report Tuesday which found the Conservative government’s procurement process for 65 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter planes, one of the largest military contracts in Canadian history, to be deeply flawed.

Will the Conservatives sail through this squall virtually unharmed, as they have done countless times before? Probably.

This sort of thing has sunk governments in the past – the Progressive Conservatives under Brian Mulroney were eventually gutted by the emergence of the Reform Party, largely because of a decision to move the maintenance contract for the CF-18 from Manitoba to Quebec, despite the Prairie province having had the better bid.

SEE THE F-35 IN ACTION

Now those CF-18s are up for replacement. However, Canada has changed since the politically charged days of the 1980s, when the Meech Lake Accord and NAFTA were national debates.

Though the Auditor General’s report is scathing, to many it will merely serve as confirmation of their own impression of the entire affair. Kevin Page, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, identified problems with the government's cost estimates in early March. Stories about the F-35 have made headlines every couple of weeks for the past few years, lessening the impact of the auditor general’s findings.

AG REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

Voters have likely already internalized the apparent problems with the plan to purchase the F-35 into their voting intentions – it can be expected to make opponents of the Conservatives more confident, while supporters can console themselves that the F-35 is probably still the right aircraft for the men and women of the Canadian Forces. Ferguson's report did not question the suitability of the F-35.

The attempts of the opposition parties to hammer the government over the boondoggle are likely to fall flat. After a long period of minority governments and high-charged partisan politics, Canadians have grown somewhat deaf to the back-and-forth on Parliament Hill.

This is not to say that there will be no blowback for the Tories. A poll conducted by Forum Research just before the Auditor General’s report was released indicated that 40 per cent of Canadians who were aware of the plan to purchase the F-35 felt that a new open competition should be held, compared to 21 per cent who thought the purchase should go ahead. The number of Canadians who feel that a new competition is needed will probably rise.

But even if Conservative voters feel that way, they are unlikely to blame the government. The report was heavily critical of the Department of National Defence, and the government and its supporters have already moved toward blaming DND for keeping them in the dark. Criticizing bureaucrats is red meat for the Tory base, and as the government has not actually purchased the F-35s yet the argument that very little money has been wasted will suffice for many.

No admission of wrongdoing will be made, and it seems very unlikely that any Conservative minister will take the fall. An emphasis on the actions the government will be taking moving forward (freezing spending on the F-35, removing DND’s responsibility for the purchase) could convince the generally disinterested public that the Conservatives are handling the issue adequately.

Though the F-35 could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, there have been expectations for some time now that one straw or another will finally do the job. Past experience tells us the Conservatives will weather this storm, but perhaps by 2015 the weight of nine years in power will be too much for the Tory ship.

Éric Grenier taps The Pulse of federal and regional politics for Huffington Post Canada readers on most Tuesdays and Fridays. Grenier is the author of ThreeHundredEight.com, covering Canadian politics, polls, and electoral projections.

AG REPORT HIGHLIGHTS


F-35 IN ACTION


Loading Slideshow...

  • F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

    FIIn this file photo taken on July 14, 2011 and released by U.S. Air Force, a USAF F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF) aircraft soars over Destin, Fla., before landing at its new home at Eglin Air Force Base. Japan selected the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, to replace aging jets in its air force and bolster its defense capability amid regional uncertainty. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force, Staff Sgt. Joely Santiago)

  • F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

    A F-35 Lightning II sits on stage during the United Kingdom F-35 Lightning II delivery ceremony on July 19, 2012 at Lockheed Martin Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas. The ceremony marked the first international delivery of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to a partner nation. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

  • F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

    (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

  • F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

    Plane models stand outside the Lockheed Martin Corporation during the United Kingdom F-35 Lightning II Delivery Ceremony on July 19, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas. The ceremony marked the first international delivery of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to a partner nation. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

  • F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

    The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet sits in front the entrance of the Asian Aerospace 2004 show in Singapore 24 February 2004. The Asia Pacific offers one of the world's strongest prospects for defence-related spending, US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin said Tuesday as it expressed confidence in remaining a major supplier to the region's governments (AFP PHOTO/ROSLAN RAHMAN)

  • F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

    (AFP PHOTO/CARL DE SOUZA)

  • F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

    A Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lighning II fighter jet sits on the tarmac for static display at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore on February 12, 2012. Boeing's much-delayed 787 Dreamliner is set to star at the Singapore Airshow this week where companies touting private jets and defence hardware to the Asian market will also be out in force. (ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

  • F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

    (ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

  • F35 JSF Take Off

  • F-35A Flight with External Stores

    On Feb. 16, 2012, the first external weapons test mission was flown by an F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The F-35A is designed to carry up to 18000 pounds on 10 weapon stations featuring four weapon stations inside two weapon bays, for maximum stealth capability, and an additional three weapon stations on each wing.

  • F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

    IN AIR, NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MD - FEBRUARY 11: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been received by U.S. Military prior to transmission) In this image released by the U.S. Navy courtesy of Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight February 11, 2011 over the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Cmdr. Eric 'Magic' Buus flew the F-35C for two hours, checking instruments that will measure structural loads on the airframe during flight maneuvers. The F-35C is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control when operating in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. (Photo by U.S. Navy photo courtesy Lockheed Martin via Getty Images)

  • F-35 First Ship Landing

    Courtesy: NAVAIR/JSF Program/Lockheed Martin

  • F35 Hovering

  • F-35 Flight Test Highlights

    Highlights of F-35 flight testing at NAS Patuxent River, Md., NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, and Edwards AFB, Calif.

  • F-35 Performs First Night Flight

    The first night flight in the history of the Lockheed Martin F-35 program was completed on Jan. 19, 2012 in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Piloted by Lockheed Martin Test Pilot Mark Ward, AF-6, an F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, launched at 5:05 pm PST and landed after sunset at 6:22 pm

  • F-35 Airstart Testing

    An F-35 test pilot talks about airstart testing at Edwards AFB, Calif., in early 2012.

  • F35 Air Show


FOLLOW CANADA POLITICS

Canada’s Auditor General, Michael Ferguson, released a report Tuesday which found the Conservative government’s procurement process for 65 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter planes, one of ...
Canada’s Auditor General, Michael Ferguson, released a report Tuesday which found the Conservative government’s procurement process for 65 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter planes, one of ...
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JOe dapue
0 Fans
11:01 PM on 05/31/2012
is there a soap strong enough to eliminate and clean the tory stench?
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Carlyn Craig
Post Hypnotic Press Audiobooks
617 Fans
 
06:03 PM on 04/21/2012
The reason that this won't turn Canadians again Tories is that Canadians - most of us - are already against the Tories. They "won" the last election by a very few votes in a very few ridings, and it is now clear that their slim majority was obtained by fraudulent means.
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Jim Cohoon
157 Fans
02:21 PM on 04/17/2012
"perhaps by 2015 the weight of nine years in power will be too much for the Tory ship." For most of the 20th century that would have been a certainty. But we are apparently living in a 'new reality' where accountability has reached a record low threshold. However, we can't entirely blame the Harperites for this. Although they are gleeful about it, and fostering it, they didn't invent this trend. To a degree, we are all to blame for the Harperites.
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Maria Korovessis Sewell
To decimate is to reduce by one tenth.
531 Fans
 
01:39 PM on 04/17/2012
I see nothing in this article on which to base a conclusion that the F35 lie-fest won't stick to the Tories.
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RDX
135 Fans
01:17 PM on 04/17/2012
Ok, let's get this straight once and for all because we've seen some confusion over both the F-35 scandal and the robocalling scandal.

Conservative voters do not care about scandals that involve conservatives.

The end.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Warren Yuill
Jesus Built My Hot-Rod
209 Fans
12:39 PM on 04/17/2012
The simple fact of not having spent any money keeps this scandal from overwhelming the Harper government.
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BBlitzer
My micro-bio is empty
40 Fans
01:41 PM on 04/17/2012
Warren, you keep saying this everytime there is is a thread on the F35 and the fact is, it is not true. The Canadian government has already spent $335Million on this program. By the way that is 3 times the amount that the Gomery Scandal cost which brought down the liberal government. Each day that goes by more is spent on this boondoggle. And if they rail road it through as Harper has done with so many other things - the billions of dollars we are discussing here will soon become reality.
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Gyice50
131 Fans
09:10 PM on 04/07/2012
I don't think we will have much to worry about people will remember the litany of Stupid acts that this government will of completed by the next election and for many of us because of our age the F35 isn't the driving force that will allow us to never vote Conservative again it will be their ability to move the pensionable year from 65 to 67 with no debate for the average Canadian but do absolutely nothing to MP pensions as it might effect the Conservative Government directly what a group of fools.
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Do The Math
In dog years I'm dead...
18 Fans
06:15 PM on 04/06/2012
For the Tories this wasn't about the F-35. It was about keeping this mess out of sight and out of mind during the last federal election so they had a good shot at a majority gov't. With that behind them, now is the time to get the "bad news" out (since even Steven Harper can't keep a $10B cover up going indefinitely).

It is amusing to see Harper and his minions tie themselves in pretzels trying to manage their message now that the AG's report has come out. But the Tories hope that this will all be forgotten by the time of the next general election. Cynical? Yes. Maddening to their political opponents? Yes. But they have a track record of getting away with this kind of stuff.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tnanimation
340 Fans
12:32 PM on 04/05/2012
This is a completely slanted piece straight from the PMO.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
rickthaluddite
What noisy cats are we
426 Fans
 
11:50 AM on 04/17/2012
The editorial board here loves the Conservative Party of Canada.
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Papineau 2000
106 Fans
07:05 AM on 04/05/2012
If there is no political price to pay then we have a docile and compliant 5th estate that will have failed miserably at doing what they are supposed to do namely : Root out corruption and malfeasance and ineptitude in all levels of government then present these findings to the public in an effective, persistent manner.

*looks over at Eric Grenier*
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
exile
314 Fans
06:33 AM on 04/05/2012
congress loves the bribes from approving the F-35 program
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Gyice50
131 Fans
12:55 AM on 04/05/2012
It's quite hard to believe that the department of defense over 6 years chose to purchase the F35's for the largest sum of money ever spent on Military hardware and the Federal government had absolutely no idea what was going on. I mean does anyone really believe that load of B.S.?
Why doesn't CSIS or the RCMP have a little look at some of the companies that Mckay and Fantino have shares in and see if just by chance they might of recieved any benefit whatsoever by the purchase of the F35 especially for such a rediculous sum?
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Papineau 2000
106 Fans
07:14 AM on 04/05/2012
These are public records.

Nevermind CSIS and th RCMP.

Where the hell is the 5th estate ?
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George Picard
Send lawyers, guns and money
360 Fans
07:21 AM on 04/05/2012
Whats the 5th estate? do you mean 4th?
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Allan Tanny
democracy not anarchy
98 Fans
11:00 PM on 04/04/2012
As the Tories have proved so often, they are the last political party to stand up for what Canada has known as democracy. That includes the concept of ministerial responsibility. And apparently this rejection of the idea of ministerial responsibility has now given the chief honcho in the Defence Department the same carte blanche to do as he wants, right or wrong, legal or illegal, without any penalty. If they don't make him pay, with his job, the civilian government is going to lose the ability to control the military. Not that we are going to end up with a military dictatorship, but we sure will end up with a bunch of overly expensive and underly useful equipment.
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islandoutback
2 Fans
 
09:51 PM on 04/04/2012
I disagree these bunch of crooked manipulators have to be removed from office before our country becomes a dictatorship. We need ordinary citizens to stand up for our democracy. love our country or lose it.
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Rantibus
Cogito, Ergo Rant
1161 Fans
08:56 PM on 04/04/2012
Here are some stats on the F-35:
It's Heads-Up (HUD) device still doesn't work properly,
Its fuel-dump system is a fire hazard,
Wing buffet is worse than anticipated,
The airframe is unlikely to last the plane's required lifespan,
It's "stealth" capabilities are restricted to very specific approach angles,
Using its afterburners is actually dangerous,
It's maneuverability in a dogfight is substandard.
Etc...
Plus it's a single engine which put the excellent F-16 out of contention prior to the purchase of the F-18's. This was a necessary safety factor when flying over ocean patrol areas. When asked what would happen if the engine were to fail, McKay stated "It won't."
The current price of the F-35 depending on model, is between $197 to 230 million per unit. If you are going to go with a single engine, you should seriously consider the already in-service and proven Swedish SAAB GRIPPEN, which at $40 to 60 million per unit is not only much cheaper but a superior aircraft which can do everything DND requires.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Skookum1
truth can't be bought, but lies sure can be sold..
191 Fans
10:02 PM on 04/04/2012
"When asked what would happen if the engine were to fail, McKay stated "It won't.""

And yeah, the Titanic was touted as "unsinkable" too.
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Taylor Jay
I don't align myself with any political party.
44 Fans
10:09 PM on 04/04/2012
and the submarines we bought most useful investment ever, millions down and maybe a year tand half at sea for 2/8 subs? lets quit making terrible investments like that. If Canada is to become a superpower like Harper wants at least let us be properly armed for it & not swatted down by the crazy nasty stuff china has they wont even tell us about... that cost alot less than these f-18s.

the cost of having the manufacturing center of the world in china is they can build anything cheaper than we can, think about it we need to be working more on diplomacy & less on defence because when the N bomb drops anywhere in the world wtf are fighter jets gonna do?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Allan Tanny
democracy not anarchy
98 Fans
11:07 PM on 04/04/2012
I'm sure you are right about the various F35 defects. I've been yelling about the single engine aspect for a long time. Just for saying "it won't fail" McKay should be booted, not from his job, but from the country. He alone must be weighing down our national average IQ by 30 points.
However the reason the SAAB won't do is that I am pretty sure that various cushy jobs, seats on Boards of Directors have already been negotiated with Lockheed, and as SAAB doesn't have much of a presence here, nor the wide number of subsidiaries where these jobs can be hidden, it would be much more difficult for them. Boeing on the other would fit.
By the way, has anybody noticed that on just about every parameter, given a current set of avionics, that the specs of the Avro Arrow would still surpass most of this stuff today?
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Rantibus
Cogito, Ergo Rant
1161 Fans
11:40 PM on 04/04/2012
Some of us have - but the ultimate demise of the Arrow was the same as the F-35 - too expensive per unit.
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