Harper Set to Purchase F-35 Fighter Jets
July 18, 2010 by theleftcoast.ca · 5 Comments
How do you feel about the Stephen Harper government’s plan to spend $9billion on new fighter jets for Canada? I understand that we need to have a fully outfitted military but to spend $9 billion on new F-35 fighter jets at this time.
F-35s are basically a Cold War up-grade and yet the Cold War is over. What is the purpose of these jets? From what I have read, these jets are designed to fight against other jets. I’m just left wondering who’s jets we are fighting against. I remain unconvinced that this is a wise way for the Harper government to spend my money.
Considering that the Harper government is projecting a $54 billion deficit in the coming year, why add another $9 billion for the purchase of jets? And then add in the maintenance costs and that total is closer to $16 billion. When we are being told we need to “tight our belts” this is not sound financial budgeting.
Interestingly, the CBC is running a poll asking how people feel about the $9 billion expenditure. Currently the poll is showing 63% opposed to the purchase of the F-35s. Do you care to add your vote to the poll? Is this an accurate reflection of the Canadian population or is it simply an accurate reflection of the CBC listening audience?
Fact: Canadian tax payers are going to spend approximately 16 billion dollars on F-35′s over the next 20 years.
Fact: Canadian tax payers are going to spend approximately 35 billion dollars on CBC over the next 20 years.
With the F-35 we will protect Canadians and Canadian sovereignty, with CBC we protect anti-conservatism and Coronation street.
My question is, why aren’t the Parties of the Left complaining about CBC?
Thank you,
What is the threat that F-35s are going to protect Canadians from? These fighter jets are not useful to our Canadian forces.
And Coronation Street definitely needs protection…perhaps that is what the F-35s are going to be used to protect? Kidding of course.
Monday Morning June 19
The no side is now at 69%.
Perhaps with time to reflect, more Canadians are realizing this is a foolish and extravagant purchase.
Harper wants to please the Americans, just as Diefenbaker did years ago by destroying the Avro Arrow – Canada’s pride during the Cold War.
What use is a supersonic F-35 against a few desert Taliban fighters in a pickup truck, or patrolling our vast shores? With limited range and one engine, God help the pilot with engine failure unless she is within spitting distance of an airport…
Meanwhile we have no helicopters to help our troops get around in Afghanistan and avoid the deadly road mines blowing them up.
This expensive shiny toy will not serve Canadians, but they will be paying the bills.
What thatsawrap said…
Of course it’s unnecessary – for a country with no aircraft carrier, what are we doing with state of the art fighter jets? How do our defence requirements include stealth fighters? Unless Harper’s proposing to use them to warn off Danish fishing trawlers in the Arctic, or to magically divine where all the makeshift mines are planted in Afghanistan.
But it’s two things: one, the boneheaded (and not terribly “frugal” of our “economically sensible” conservative government) decision itself, and two, the timing of the announcement. Whether it’s $16 billion war toys, or the axeing of the census long form, Harper just had to sneak these announcements out in the summertime, outside the scrutiny of a sitting Parliament.
He calculated that would mean Canadians wouldn’t notice. But, wrong again, as we are always on the look-out for our PM to try and slip a fast one past us. Prorogation set that image in stone – you think he’d at least try the accountability thing, just once?