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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 75

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 19, 2022 10:00AM
  • May/19/22 6:48:27 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I would like to salute and welcome the minister. Now, on to the first question. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said the following at the February 4 meeting of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates: “The pattern is that whenever we look at major procurement issues, for example, combat ships, supply ships, and now polar icebreakers, there is one constant: the costs are always higher when an independent office estimates them rather than the government.” Why is that?
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  • May/19/22 6:49:58 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the cost of everything is skyrocketing right now. None of the contracts involve fixed costs. A number of witnesses told the committee that many businesses in many countries had fixed costs. The witnesses suggested signing fixed-cost contracts. Does the minister agree?
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  • May/19/22 6:50:18 p.m.
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Madam Chair, what I would acknowledge is that COVID has had an impact around the world. With respect to the shipyards, there is no question that COVID has impacted costs of labour and supply chain issues. We always work in a way to maintain having costs match up to the quotes that are given, but COVID has presented a number of challenges, not only in shipyards but also all around the world in supply chains and labour.
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  • May/19/22 7:40:59 p.m.
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Madam Chair, many Canadians who want access to a safer supply cannot get it, so that answer falls short. Does the minister have any idea of the cost of substance use issues in Canada, factoring in health, social services, policing, the justice system, lost productivity and other relevant costs?
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  • May/19/22 8:09:14 p.m.
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Madam Chair, that is funny, because in a previous OGGO meeting, years ago, we were actually given a date, and now it is being decided. An Order Paper delivered by the government stated that the costs for the Coast Guard AOPS would be $750 million per ship. Irving Shipbuilding testified just last week it would be considerably less. Who is telling the truth?
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  • May/19/22 9:38:04 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I would like to know the official cost of the Arctic and offshore patrol ships and whether it is possible to break down those costs.
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  • May/19/22 10:08:05 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I am going to share my time with the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent. I thank the minister for her work tonight. It is quite a feat to put in all the time and to answer all the questions, and I thank her for that. Andrew Kendrick, a naval architect with 40 years' experience, appeared before committee. His statement was that it costs three to five times the world price and two to four times longer to deliver ships in Canada versus the rest of the world. Does the minister have any comment on that? Has she investigated and verified this to be true, or does she feel we are in line with world price and world delivery?
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  • May/19/22 10:47:05 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, the government keeps touting a safer supply as how it is going to respond to this crisis. Has the government looked into whether bulk buying harm reduction supplies or a safer supply could help reduce costs for supervised consumption sites, which often face funding challenges?
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