Potential political fallout from shipbuilding contracts
Posted Oct 19, 2011 08:51:15 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The federal government is set to reveal how it will divide $35 billion worth of shipbuilding contracts as part of its National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) program.
It’s a sensitive issue for the Harper Tories, especially here in BC. North Vancouver’s Seaspan Marine is one of three finalists, up against shipyards in Quebec and Nova Scotia. The big prize is a $25-billion navy combat ship deal. Second place gets $8 billion in civilian ship work such as coast guard cutters. They will be awarded today; a consolation prize worth $2 billion in smaller contracts will be given out some time in the future.
University of Victoria social policy professor and political scientist Michael Prince warns many voters here still remember the Mulroney government awarding a fighter jet contract to Quebec back in the 1980s, when many critics though Manitoba had put in the better bid.
“The birth of the Reform Party and [Preston] Manning and Mr. Harper initially, were discontented conservative-minded politicians in Western Canada who felt that a Brian Mulroney Conservative government, with strong representation from the west really didn’t truly provide the voice for the west.”
He warns if BC does come out of this feeling short-changed, the feds could be accused of playing political favourites. “You can imagine there will be some perception, fairly or not, that the Ontario/Quebec bid won because of the dominance of the number of seats in Ontario and the wooing of political votes in Quebec.”
Prince adds it’s also a make-or-break file for Christy Clark and her jobs agenda.
The decision is expected to come down this afternoon. Seaspan Marine has called a news conference at its North Vancouver headquarters, where CEO Jonathan Whitworth and VP Program Management John Shaw are set to speak.
