Let me ask this question, in all my layman's ignorance. Why is it that its deemed a 'national security matter' for us to be able to retain our ability to build frigates and coastal defense vessels (and nothing larger than that) but its not a 'national security matter' for us to be able to build any sort of advanced fighter jet, military cargo or search and rescue plane?
I keep hearing again and again and again, how difficult it is to build a modern warship but yet I hear nothing, nothing about Canada being able to build a fighter jet and retaining (recreating is a better word) this 'ability' for our 'national security'. I'm sure that if we poured as much money into our aerospace industry (Bombardier) as we are currently doing for Irving and Seaspan (and soon to be Davie), that we'd be able to build something comparable to what the Swedes, Brits and French are capable of. Is it because our aerospace industry is overwhelmingly based in Ontario and Quebec that we are not doing this? Because these two provinces are the most populated, most developed and wealthiest? That they don't need the work, but the East Coast does?
Its a huge game of smoke and mirrors that is being played out. On one hand building ships in Canada and overpaying for them and waiting decades and decades for them to be built here is deemed 'good for Canada'. It means taxpayers dollars are kept in Canada, Canadian workers have jobs and Canada retains a 'national security' ability - but - on the other hand, being able to defend our skies, the approaches to our coasts and project Canadian 'power' (?) by building Canadian fighter jets or Canadian cargo planes or Canadian search and rescue planes, is not deemed a priority, not a 'national security' requirement. Who cares if Canadian taxpayers money is shipped off to the US, who cares if Canadian aerospace workers are lost, if their skills are shipped off down south.
I look forward to comments on this. I look forward to being 'educated' on why building warships in Canada is good but building fighter jets or military cargo planes or search and rescue planes in Canada is bad. I look forward to hearing from all of you.
I love this country, but its so hard to do sometimes.