“Canada should not be spending tens of billions of dollars on climate destroying fighter jets."
Author of the article: Staff Reporter
Publishing date: Nov 22, 2021 •
The protest Monday in front of Parliament Hill to call on the federal government to cancel its purchase of 88 fighter jets.
PHOTO BY JEAN LEVAC /Postmedia
A protest in front of Parliament Hill on Monday was one of many being held across Canada this week to call on the federal government to cancel its purchase of 88 fighter jets at a cost of $19 billion.
“Canada should not be spending tens of billions of dollars on climate destroying fighter jets designed to fight in NATO wars,” Bianca Mugyenyi, director of the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, said in a news release. “The extreme weather in British Columbia demonstrates these resources should be put towards mitigating the climate crisis.”
The three aerospace firms bidding on the fighter jet program were told in writing by the federal government that a decision would be made this month on a “down select” of companies that would be allowed to advance to the final stage of the competition.
The winning bid for the projectis expected to be announced in March or April of 2022.
However, Public Services and Procurement Canada has gone silent on whether that timetable will be met. In a response to this newspaper earlier this month, the department would only say that, “Canada continues to work towards a contract award in 2022.”
A protest in front of Parliament Hill on Monday was one of many being held across Canada this week to call on the federal government to cancel its purchase of 88 fighter jets at a cost of $19 billion.
“Canada should not be spending tens of billions of dollars on climate destroying fighter jets designed to fight in NATO wars,” Bianca Mugyenyi, director of the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, said in a news release. “The extreme weather in British Columbia demonstrates these resources should be put towards mitigating the climate crisis.”
The three aerospace firms bidding on the fighter jet program were told in writing by the federal government that a decision would be made this month on a “down select” of companies that would be allowed to advance to the final stage of the competition.
The winning bid for the projectis expected to be announced in March or April of 2022.
However, Public Services and Procurement Canada has gone silent on whether that timetable will be met. In a response to this newspaper earlier this month, the department would only say that, “Canada continues to work towards a contract award in 2022.”
The protest Monday in front of Parliament Hill to call on the federal government to cancel its purchase of 88 fighter jets. PHOTO BY JEAN LEVAC /Postmedia
The new fighter jets, which are to replace the existing CF-18 aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force, would have an estimated life-cycle cost of $77 billion.
“We want the federal government to invest in health care, affordable housing, green jobs and a just recovery,” Tamara Lorincz, a member of the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, said in a news release on the rallies. “Fighter jets are for violence, we need global cooperation to deal with the pandemic and climate emergency.”
The “week of action” was organized by the No Fighter Jets Coalition. Rallies were to be held in Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Kingston, Nanaimo, B.C., Hamilton, Regina, Halifax, Edmundston, N.B., Collingwood, Edmonton, Montréal and Ottawa.
— With files from David Pugliese
The new fighter jets, which are to replace the existing CF-18 aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force, would have an estimated life-cycle cost of $77 billion.
“We want the federal government to invest in health care, affordable housing, green jobs and a just recovery,” Tamara Lorincz, a member of the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, said in a news release on the rallies. “Fighter jets are for violence, we need global cooperation to deal with the pandemic and climate emergency.”
The “week of action” was organized by the No Fighter Jets Coalition. Rallies were to be held in Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Kingston, Nanaimo, B.C., Hamilton, Regina, Halifax, Edmundston, N.B., Collingwood, Edmonton, Montréal and Ottawa.
— With files from David Pugliese
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