An F-35 Interlude with Peter MacKay

#F35 #cdnpoli

While you wait for the 2nd part of the lies the Harperites told, this should get your blood up.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay says he was aware two years ago that it would cost closer to $25 billion to buy a new fleet of F-35 stealth fighter jets but insists there was never any intention to mislead the public.
That’s about $10 billion more than the nearly $15 billion the government has maintained would be the price of the 65 radar-evading aircraft.
In explaining the discrepancy during an appearance on CTV’s QuestionPeriod, MacKay said Sunday that it was all a matter of a different interpretation of accounting practices.
He said the higher number takes into account the ongoing cost of pilots’ salaries and other costs associated with operating the current fleet of CF-18 jet fighters.
“Yes, and it was explained to me just that way, that the additional $10 billion was money that you could describe as sunk costs — that is, what we’re paying our personnel, and the fuel that is currently being expended in CF-18s, jet fuel, maintenance costs, what we are currently spending. So not part of a new acquisition,” MacKay said.

Better part yet ...

A senior Defence Department official, who would only speak on condition of anonymity, said Sunday the military didn’t want to include the ongoing operating costs of maintaining a fleet of fighters jets because that would have misled Canadians on the true cost of the new jets.
The official said that would allow Canadian taxpayers “to think we delivered a lot more plane than what we actually are delivering.”
The official said the military’s hand was forced by the auditor general, so now those costs will be included in this and future procurements.
“Governments don’t do this simply so we don’t mislead Canadians. Now we’re being accused of misleading Canadians because we haven’t put that out there,” the official said.
“Any soccer mom in the country knows that their purchase of a mini van does not include gas over 20 years or a salary for driving it.”
MacKay said it has never been the practice to include such things as salaries, fuel costs “or the cost of keeping that existing equipment running” in the price of a new capital procurement.

Oh dear. Somebody has been reading my mail.  Excuse me while I clear this up a little. As anyone who read my previous posting now knows, MacKay and his senior department official are full of shit.

All military capital acquisitions include all costs related to LCC. If you don't, you end up with a nice shiny airplane that never leaves the ground. Further, the estimate DND hung out is chock full of missing life cycle cost items.

They can't stop lying.

They also seem hung up on the "We didn't spend any money yet, so it's all OK" meme.