Decision time: Canada needs new fighter jets – now
Canada’s CF-18 fighter jets are due to retire in 2020. They need to be replaced, but no fully operational F-35s will be available by that date. Stephen Harper has a decision to make: buy another model of fighter jet, or face a dangerous capability gap. He cannot expect our pilots to fly supersonic aircraft beyond their lifespan. The Prime Minister, however, has been ragging the puck since April, 2012, when Auditor-General Michael Ferguson reported that the government had misled Canadians about the cost of the F-35s. In March, 2011, the Department of National Defence told Parliament the F-35s would cost $14.7-billion, including maintenance and operations. Internally, however, both the Department and Cabinet were working with a number of $25-billion. [Read More...]Energy firms eye offshore work
An escalation of offshore exploration for oil and gas this spring has huge implications for a host of Atlantic Canadian energy sector companies. More than 200 officials from companies active in the sector huddled at a Halifax hotel Thursday to learn about the billion-dollar BP Exploration (Canada) Ltd. offshore energy exploration program that begins in May. “They are here to learn about local opportunities and BP procurement policies,” Barbara Pike, executive director of the Maritimes Energy Association, said in an interview. The association hosted the event. BP has committed to spend more than $1 billion in a six-year undertaking. Six ships involved in an initial two-year seismic survey off the coast of the province, much of which will be handled by lead contract winner WesternGeco, are due to begin arriving in Halifax near the end of April. [Read More…]Court condemns Ottawa’s purchase of airport scanners
A federal court judge has condemned a federal agency’s purchase of $40-million worth of x-ray screening equipment for Canadian airports, saying the contract was “unfair, unreasonable” and “non-competitive.” In a harsh judgment, Justice Peter Annis found that managers at the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority “misled” the board of directors about key details of the bids that resulted in an unfair contract. He concluded that the directors would never have proceeded with the 2010 deal if they knew all the facts. “The board authorized an award of a contract that resulted from an unfair and non-competitive procurement process,” Annis wrote. [Read More…]Industry News
Follow @CI_Legal
#CIProcurement
Related Event
When: Thursday, April 24, 2014 & May 1, 2014
Where: Marriott Bloor Yorkville, Toronto & Delta Edmonton South, Edmonton
To Learn more visit: www.CanadianInstitute.com/Procurement