Westlock – St. Paul MP Brian Storseth welcomed Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay to the riding, as MacKay touched down at Provident Place in Redwater for a fundraiser lunch on Friday.
MacKay announced $54 million for a new land force western area headquarters at CFB Edmonton earlier that day while greeting troops returning from Afghanistan. The new headquarters will consolidate three buildings and service all of Canada.
In Redwater, MacKay answered questions on the labour shortage in Alberta, the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets and oilsands. A man from the Legal area asked the minister to reassure him the government will purchase the F-35s.
MacKay said the government intends to purchase the planes but are in discussions with manufacturer Lockheed Martin over the production timeline.
“Our challenge right now is with the private sector," MacKay said, noting a contract has not yet been signed. “We're in a very different type of procurement that goes back 15 years, where we're working with a group of other countries … I can assure you we're moving ahead with this procurement."
The government is looking out for taxpayers to make sure they are getting value with the aircraft, and is also looking into unmanned aerial vehicles, which have been used in Afghanistan and would be great in the Arctic and coastal patrol, he said. With first class transport aircraft C-17s, new Hercules aircraft and Chinook helicopters, “it's been a pretty good year for the Air Force," he said.
He said the government wants to be cautious in its procurements, adding, “We want to make sure we have the best equipment. You can't have the best soldiers without the best possible equipment."
The Canadian Forces plan to station 24 of the F-35s at 4 Wing. MacKay assured the fleet of CF-18 Hornets would be operationally sound until the acquisition of the new fleet, in an interview with the Journal.
“We've made a number of investments and upgrades to the F-18s over the years, so they're in pretty good condition," MacKay said. Canadian F-18s performed “extremely well" in defence of the Libyan people recently in high temperature, high altitude conditions, he said.
After an intense mission like Libya, the fighter jets are refurbished, “but like all equipment, they eventually have to be replaced."
The F-35 program started under the Liberals in 1997. “We are continuing along the path that has been fraught with challenges at times, but we believe that we're moving ahead and moving in the right direction."
The F-35 is the only fifth generation model of fighter jet, but until the government signs a contract, the government will ensure it has the “right aircraft to replace the F-18s."
MacKay praised the work of the men and women in the Canadian Forces, in his speech to the crowd of around 30. He noted 1,000 Canadian Forces members remain in Afghanistan training members of the Afghanistan security forces.
“By training their officials, their police, their army, to do the type of things we've been doing protecting their population and their community, this will be a gift that keeps on giving … In a short time we have really transformed that country in ways that matter significantly to their population."
While the Taliban banned girls from going to school, now around four million girls are in school and there are more women in the Afghanistan parliament than Canada, he said.
MacKay praised the work of MP Storseth as an advocate for the Forces. “He continues to speak out on issues that matter to them … I'm very grateful for that because Brian has a very straight forward, pragmatic approach," he said.
“He has been not only one of the greatest ministers of National Defence that our country has ever seen and an individual that truly cares for the men and women of our Canadian Forces … He is also one of our leaders in our caucus and in our country," said Storseth, in his introduction of MacKay.
