CONFERENCE OF DEFENCE ASSOCIATIONS
MEDIA ADVISORY
28 July 2009
From: Captain (Ret’d) P.W. Forsberg, CD, Public Affairs Officer
CONFERENCE OF DEFENCE ASSOCIATIONS WELCOMES
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S FRESH APPROACH
TO RATIONALISING SHIP PROCUREMENT
Ottawa – The Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) welcomes the Federal Government’s fresh approach to rationalising ship procurement and its recently concluded Shipbuilding Forum, which was held on 27-28 July. The forum, opened by the Hon. Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence; the Hon. Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans; the Hon. Tony Clement, Minister of Industry; and the Hon. Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, kicked off a 45-day consultation period that is intended to lead to a sustainable long-term shipbuilding strategy.
Canada has a requirement for a credible fleet of ships as well as a national shipbuilding policy to meet these needs. The CDA welcomes the Government’s commitment to a more strategic relationship with Canada’s shipbuilding sector. The Government’s intent to replace 50 vessels over the next 25 years, with an estimated value of $40 billion, is highly commendable.
We hope that conferences such as this forum just concluded will foster an open dialogue between Government and Canada’s industrial base, as the exchange of information has thus far been inadequate. In the absence of open dialogue, R&D decisions are extremely difficult for industry. In light of this, the quality of content and dialogue between the stakeholders at the shipbuilding forum was heartening.
The CDA welcomes the forum as an excellent first step, and congratulates the ministers, officials and stakeholders who participated. The issues involved are numerous and complex and require sustained and focused leadership at the highest levels, including the personal involvement of the Prime Minister, in order to deliver specific shipbuilding programmes in a timely fashion. Until this initiative delivers, major shipbuilding programmes will not likely proceed. There is a need for a coherent, long-term national shipbuilding plan that provides Canada’s Navy and Coast Guard with the ships they so urgently need, benefits the economy, and provides maximum value to the taxpayer.
Contact:
- Alain Pellerin, Executive Director, telephone: (613) 236-1252
- Peter Forsberg, Public Affairs Officer, telephone: (613) 236-9903
- Vice-Admiral (Ret’d) Ron Buck, telephone: (613) 236-1252
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Conference of Defence Associations
222 Somerset Street West, suite 400B
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2G3
Phone: (613) 236-1252
Fax: (613) 236-8191
Email: cda@cda-cdai.ca
Web: www.cda-cdai.ca