Soon after Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced Canada's largest military equipment purchase in its history the howls of opposition began about the sale with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff complaining the massive F-35 Joint Strike Fighter purchase proceeded without competitive bids.
In announcing the ambitious project on Friday, MacKay said the new fighter jets, set to arrive in 2016, are the best that can be provided to this nation's men and women. At $9 billion, they had better be among the best. And when you consider the entire package, including maintenance, could expand to $16 billion you can understand why some critics are beginning to ask some questions about whether the Department of National Defence even looked for a cheaper alternative.
This is not about nickeling and diming our soldiers. Most Canadians expect our military to have access to the best equipment possible when we sent them overseas to carry out our foreign policy. However, that price tag should come with limits.
There's no telling whether a competitive process would have led to a lower price tag for the 65 jets that should begin arriving in 2016. On the flip side, though, you can't fault MacKay for not shortchanging the military.
Far too often those men and women who place themselves in harm's way for this country have had to do so with second-rate equipment. Successive governments have made our Armed Forces personnel make do with antiquated and obsolete tanks, aircraft and ships. It has to be at least a little refreshing to know we have a government that has the utmost of respect for our military and its role in worldwide affairs.
Still, as much as there is a desire to give our airmen the best aircraft available, we need to remind our elected officials that sometimes it pays to get the best price possible. Let's just hope this is not a precedent that will be followed time and time again.
