|
| 2002-04-13 Priorities, shmyorities ... let's by some jets! | | | Ottawa Sun
Published: Saturday, April 13, 2002 Spending goes sky high
The money spent to buy two new Challenger jets was spent needlessly, hastily, secretly and without regard for other priorities that demand government attention Despite protestations to the contrary, March Madness, spend it or lose it spending is alive and well in our federal government. Just over two weeks ago on the last business day of the government’s fiscal year – March 28th to be exact – the feds announced late in the day by way of obscure news release that they purchased two Challenger 604 executive jets made by Montreal-based Bomardier. This purchase is cloaked in secrecy and does not and should not sit well with taxpayers. For example, media inquiries to get details of this purchase have proven unsuccessful. But we can assume that these jets will undergo significant “luxury” modifications because their base price runs between $38 million and $42 million. So two jets would cost $84 million at the upper end. And even with enhanced maintenance and after sales service agreements, this still does not explain away a minimum $19 million ($101 million minus $82 million) difference. It’s ironic how times change. When Brian Mulroney purchased a fleet of Airbus 310s and retrofitted one of them with shower facilities, sleeping amenities and meeting rooms, the opposition Liberals dubbed this plane the ‘flying taj mahal.’ And to this day, Prime Minister Chretien has never flown in this plane. However, federal officials have routinely poached parts of this plane for government use in other aircraft for intercontinental flights. These new jets are destined to replace two older models that have been in service for 19 years. While Canadians generally would not discount the need for modern equipment for the activities of government, five key questions stem from this purchase. 1) Are these jets needed?
In a word, NO! A January 8th report to General Ray Henault, Chief of Defence Staff, stated: “Given that there are no identifiable trends or problems with this fleet and given the high dispatch reliability of the Challenger, it is recommended that remedial action such as fleet modernization or replacement is not warranted at this time.” This report also noted that in 20 months over the last two years, just 13 Challenger flights out of almost 1,600 were delayed to mechanical problems. This is as close to perfect performance record as one can get. 2) Can we afford this purchase?
The simple answer is yes. Given the fact that Ottawa is on track to run a $7 billion surplus of over-taxation for fiscal year 2001/2002, this purchase is – when taken in isolation -- affordable. But this leads to our next question. 3) Is this purchase an expenditure priority for the government?
To be blunt, it doesn’t even make the top 100. From health care to debt reduction to providing greater tax relief to meeting the legitimate infrastructure needs of Canadian municipalities, countless other priorities are higher than ensuring Cabinet bigwigs fly in style. And this leads to the reaction of Canadians and public opinion. 4) What are the optics that surround this purchase?
The optics for the Chretien government are pathetic to say the least. Consider the following facts: Our military are flying around in some Sea Kings that came into service when John F. Kennedy was President. It is a slap in the face of our armed forces personnel that they must fly in Afghanistan and other global hotspots in 40-year old aging helicopters that are in desperate need of replacement while Cabinet Ministers will be able to fly in luxury aircraft that aren’t even needed.In the health care domain, provincial governments are screaming for more money for medical technology like MRIs and resources to hire health care professionals.On April 1st, the $24 cash grab flying tax went into effect to gouge Canadian travelers for a non-existent security bureaucracy and equipment that is in on back order worldwide. This tax will probably raise $3 billion or more over five years yet Ottawa has no problem doling out $101.5 million in 15 seconds or so (the time it took to ink the purchase).5) What else could we buy with $101.5 million.
The money spent on these jets could unquestionably be put to more productive use. At $115 million a day in debt interest payments, $101 million could pay off the international bankers for over 23 hours. Or $101 million could purchase over 30 MRIs for Canadian hospitals. Or $101 million could run a K-12 school board in a city of 100,000 people for a year. The purchase of these two jets is equal to the average federal personal income tax collected from 19,031 Canadians each year. It represents an unnecessary and unwarranted squandering of $101.5 million and simultaneously sets a new precedent for federal arrogance and duplicity. | | |
|
|
| |