The first of the Librano "chickens" comes home to roost...
.....and poop squarly on the tax-payer and Harper's sholder.
Aerospace giant Agusta-Westland recently filed the $1-billion claim for damages in Federal Court, alleging its EH-101 helicopter didn't win the competition to provide Canada's military with a maritime chopper because of political interference by the Liberal government.
Cancelling the EH-101 contract was one of the first things Chretien did when he came to power in the fall of 1993. At the time his government paid more than $470 million in cancellation fees to scuttle the deal. But in 1998 the Chretien government was embarrassed when the EH-101 was once again selected by the Canadian Forces as the best chopper for its search-and-rescue operations. Fifteen of those helicopters were bought for that role.
Agusta-Westland contends the Liberals designed the $5-billion program to buy 28 maritime helicopters in such a way as to prevent the selection of its EH-101 chopper.
In its statement of claim, Agusta-Westland contends the Liberal government wanted to ensure the EH-101 didn't win the Sea King replacement contract because it wanted to avoid political embarrassment. The firm alleges the Liberals were worried that if the EH-101 did win, the government would be accused of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars in cancelling the first deal.
In addition, Agusta-Westland alleges the government violated its own procurement rules by ignoring the extra costs of operating two different fleets of helicopters. Company officials say that since the military already operates the EH-101 for search-and-rescue missions it would have made financial sense, in terms of training and maintenance, to select the same chopper for its maritime operations
A scandal a day keeps the Libranos away....man it sucks to be a Librano these days.
Aerospace giant Agusta-Westland recently filed the $1-billion claim for damages in Federal Court, alleging its EH-101 helicopter didn't win the competition to provide Canada's military with a maritime chopper because of political interference by the Liberal government.
Cancelling the EH-101 contract was one of the first things Chretien did when he came to power in the fall of 1993. At the time his government paid more than $470 million in cancellation fees to scuttle the deal. But in 1998 the Chretien government was embarrassed when the EH-101 was once again selected by the Canadian Forces as the best chopper for its search-and-rescue operations. Fifteen of those helicopters were bought for that role.
Agusta-Westland contends the Liberals designed the $5-billion program to buy 28 maritime helicopters in such a way as to prevent the selection of its EH-101 chopper.
In its statement of claim, Agusta-Westland contends the Liberal government wanted to ensure the EH-101 didn't win the Sea King replacement contract because it wanted to avoid political embarrassment. The firm alleges the Liberals were worried that if the EH-101 did win, the government would be accused of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars in cancelling the first deal.
In addition, Agusta-Westland alleges the government violated its own procurement rules by ignoring the extra costs of operating two different fleets of helicopters. Company officials say that since the military already operates the EH-101 for search-and-rescue missions it would have made financial sense, in terms of training and maintenance, to select the same chopper for its maritime operations
A scandal a day keeps the Libranos away....man it sucks to be a Librano these days.
posted by W.L. Mackenzie Redux | 8:15 AM
3 Comments:
Isn't it amazing, how helicopters could cost Canada so much. And, it's all because of Liberals. With the amount we'll end up paying and have paid, our boots on the ground could've had Cobra Cover in Afghanistan. What a GD waste of money these libs are... when oh when do get a season on Genus Libratas?
Just like the US infrastructire driving the cost of an army-isse hammer costing $60, Canada's political intrigue has cost us billions. Canadians have paid the high cost for partisan face saving, animosity and patronage pandering...from Deif killing the areo to the Muldoom airbus scams to Chretien's Pearson airport and helecopter farce, we are captives of a federal system partisanism which has made the government almost non functional and threatens to destroy national unity.
Don't get me started on the Arrow. Where do you think the F-14 and on up came from?? Canadian aerospace engineers that went to the States, and took the plans with them. I still spit on Diefen-what-evers- grave when I go thru Flatland!! SOB should have been shot as a traitor.
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