Stephen Harper`s 2014 budget is a sham, smoke n mirrors..and Previous Posts Vindicated As Fact

Stephen Harper`s 2014 budget is a sham, smoke n mirrors..

 

Shipbuilding money has been slashed and delayed, Stephen Haper dangled a shipbuilding carrot during the 2011 federal election and now the truth is out there, there is no funding and or ship being constructed until AFTER the 2015 election..

 

As for protecting consumers from cross-border price discrepancies as promised, there is no legislation framework, meaning Stephen Harper is doing nothing on that front..

 

There is scant infrastructure money, none for British Columbia, that needed bridge in Quebec crumbling is a $4 billion dollar cost to replace, Harper has come up with $300 million..

 

Also, no legislation to target charitable groups, a Flaherty idle threat meant to rev up his bile base of racists and corporatists..Environmental groups are acting within the law, there was nothing Harper could do..

 

No infrastructure money for British Columbia...Shipbuilding jobs at Seaspan postponed until 2016.

$3.1 billion in BC shipbuilding money deferred until 2017-2018

 

As told here before, Stephen Harper deliberately botched military procurements in anticipation of presenting an election balanced budget..

 

MORE TO COME LATER..

 

 

 

The below was posted last week and further down was a Straight Goods post from December 5th 2012.

 

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http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.ca/2014/02/todays-bc-liberals-leadership-and.html

 

 

Let`s talk about Stephen Harper`s shipbuilding boondoggle..

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Months after his scathing F-35 report shook the Harper government’s plans to buy the stealth fighter, Auditor General Michael Ferguson has turned his attention to another military procurement project: the Harper government’s $35-billion shipbuilding plan. Ferguson’s report on the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy is due in fall 2013 and


— depending on what he finds — could be far more explosive than the F-35…. The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy has been regarded as a godsend for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Coast Guard, which operate fleets of destroyers, icebreakers, frigates and other vessels that are nearing the end of their lifespans and must be replaced.

The strategy is seen also as a huge winner for Irving Shipyards in Halifax, Seaspan Marine in Vancouver and their respective communities after a panel of federal bureaucrats announced in October(20011) that these companies had been selected as the main production centres for $33 billion in work. (The other $2 billion will go to a number of other shipyards across the country on smaller projects.)

And amid problems with the F-35 stealth fighter program and other military purchases, the Conservative government has held up the shipbuilding strategy as an important success for military procurement and a means to leverage tax dollars into massive economic spinoffs. But there have been repeated indications that the strategy is in danger of running aground — which would have military, economic and political ramifications far greater than those associated with the F-35. Delivery of the first ships to be produced under the strategy — seven armed Arctic vessels valued at $3.1 billion — was supposed to begin in 2015, but has already been delayed three years to 2018. Those Arctic ships and replacements for Canada’s existing destroyer and frigate fleets are to be produced by Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax for a total of $25 billion.

 ....This is critical because not only are the destroyers already due to retire before replacements come online, but any delay reduces the government’s purchasing power because of ever-increasing material costs and inflation, possibly resulting in fewer ships or capabilities.

 Similarly, efforts to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s 50-year-old resupply ships have repeatedly been bogged down as National Defence has been unable to decide on what it wants the ships to actually do. The replacements are being produced by Seaspan Marine in Vancouver and were supposed to be in the water by 2012. But design and money concerns have delayed delivery of the first new, $2.6-billion joint support ship until at least spring 2018. The chances of the shipbuilding “strategy” being completed on time and within budget are negligible. Perhaps another scathing report from the Auditor General will make the Conservative government face up to that reality. -

See more at:

http://www.ceasefire.ca/?p=14312#sthash.jruV0max.dpuf


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Submarines..

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"Most Canadians know the sad story of Canada’s second-hand submarines. Purchased from Britain in 1998 for a suspiciously low price, the four vessels have spent most of the last fifteen years being refitted and repaired.
What most Canadians do not know is that the “Victoria-class” submarines are now entering the last decade of their service life. And since Canadian naval procurements typically take ten to fifteen years, Canada’s submarine program is destined to splutter to a stop – unless, as our new report recommends, the procurement of replacements is initiated forthwith.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/canadas-submarine-fleet-never-worked-its-time-to-stop-ignoring-the-problem/article12468338/

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Stephen Harper should bow his head in shame, he doesn`t give a flying fluck about anything except pimping oil and pocketing secret rewards, rewards shielded from the public, Stephen Harper has offended every military person in Canada, Harper stuck a Conservative party shiv in our veteran`s backs..

http://www.thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/02/08/Tory-Backbenchers-for-Vets/

 

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A Straight Goods Goods post from 2 years ago

 

http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.ca/2012/12/what-shipbuilding-jobs-and-when.html

 

 

The Below has been presented by yours truly, right now we are in the midsts of a propaganda war, even the BC Government California jobs fair is a fraud, to all you mainstream media, ask the BC Government how many people were hired at this jobs fair, or perhaps ask if these jobs are contingent upon a bunch of LNG plants opening, and proposed mines, ask some hard questions, and if you gutless media really had any balls you would ask Stephen Harper about what`s laid out below..

 

 

 Irving Shipbuilding presses Ottawa on Arctic ship deal

 

Michael MacDonald

The Canadian Press

HALIFAX —The president of Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is applying pressure on Ottawa to sign a contract on design work for eight new Arctic patrol ships.


Steve Durrell said Friday unless the contract is signed and engineering work begins by January, the company’s Halifax Shipyard will have a tough time meeting its goal of cutting the first steel for the project in 2015.

“We’ll be looking at this day by day,” he said. “If it gets delayed a month, it will delay the program a month.”


Durrell set the deadline during a briefing that marked one year since the federal government awarded the shipyard a $25-billion contract to build 21 combat vessels over 30 years.


“We are definitely not waiting to get started,” he said. “We are doing everything we can to advance the timetables and begin building vessels for Canada as quickly as possible.”

The company is still negotiating two contracts with Ottawa — one for design work and the other for the actual construction of the patrol ships.

Durrell repeated his company’s promise to have the first patrol vessel built by 2018, which is already three years behind the original schedule.

The ships, first announced in 2007, were projected to cost $3.1 billion to build and $4.3 billion to maintain over their expected 25-year life cycle. Durrell declined to say whether he thinks the costs would rise in the years to come.


The business executive, speaking to reporters at the sprawling shipyard on the Halifax waterfront, also made a pitch to Ottawa concerning the maintenance contract, which has yet to be awarded.
Earlier this week, documents obtained by The Canadian Press revealed the patrol ships will cost more to maintain because National Defence won’t be signing a long-term service contract until the ships are well into construction.

An internal briefing to former associate defence minister Julian Fantino last fall said the project was full of financial questions, starting with the actual cost of building up to eight warships.
Durrell said the final costs have yet to be negotiated. He said the cost of design work will be revealed early next year, but the cost of construction won’t be known until 
2015.

 http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1274527--irving-shipbuilding-presses-ottawa-on-arctic-ship-deal
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And from a story appearing on the front page of the Vancouver Sun, a continuation of pumping up the BC Liberal Government, pumping up jobs that aren`t there, a coordinated effort aligned with the bloated $30 million dollar jobs ad campaign

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B.C.'s shipbuilding industry set to grow by 3,000 jobs and billions by 2020

There are currently 4,627 jobs in B.C., representing those directly employed in shipbuilding and repair, plus those working in the metal plate and fabrication industry, largely dependent on shipbuilding work.

Employment is predicted to increase to 6,883, representing direct and indirect workers, by 2016, and move to 7,605 by 2020, the report said.

Seaspan Marine Corp. won the opportunity in 2011 to negotiate construction of $8 billion worth of large non-combat federal ships. This work is part of the $35-billion federal National Shipbuilding and Procurement Strategy. Seaspan owns Victoria  Shipyards, which operates at the Esquimalt Graving Dock, as well as Vancouver Shipyards. Initial work on the federal vessels will be carried out in Vancouver and they will be completed and taken out on trials from Esquimalt.

Construction of the first ships is expected to start late in 2013. Work will carry on for at least a decade.

Shipbuilding and repair is predicted to generate $10 billion in B.C.’s economy by 2010, the report said.

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/shipbuilding+industry+grow+jobs+billions+2020/7656103/story.html#ixzz2EEFd1gPw

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Let me be perfectly clear, I`m not against jobs but there is something terribly wrong here, Gordon Campbell and these wretched BC Liberals promised the Evergreen line every year and full-on promotion of the Evergreen line in 2005 election period and again in 2009, in fact Kevin Falcon in 2009 promised construction would start no later than the Fall of 2010, we are almost in 2013 and no shovels in the ground yet..

Surrey memorial hospital, same thing, it was promised during the 2005 election writ period with completion no later that 2009, again construction of the badly needed new Surrey Memorial hospital was hyped in the 2009 election, it still ain`t finished. looks like Gordon Campbell and Stephen treason Harper use the same playbook..

I know many of you have short memories, remember the last Federal election, you know, the one in Spring 2011, remember all the hype about shipbuilding contracts, I do, ..

And who could forget Christy Clark having a Seaspan Orgasim when these shipbuilding contracts were awarded by the Feds, 1 deal for the Irving shipyard and 1 for Seaspan, from coast to coast, Christy was peaking because she was desperate for a good news story, she pretended the BC Liberal Government actually assisted Seaspan in winning the contract, when in fact it was the BC NDP that made the phone calls and assisted Seaspan, Hansard will indeed reveal those facts..

However, do you see the highlighted part from the Vancouver Sun story, here it is again..

"Seaspan Marine Corp. won the opportunity in 2011 to negotiate construction of $8 billion worth of large non-combat federal ships."

What`s up with that, you mean Seaspan only was granted an opportunity to negotiate?

And what about this next part ...

"Construction of the first ships is expected to start late in 2013. Work will carry on for at least a decade."

Here we had Stephen way back when promoting these ships, it was a big vote getter in our Spring 2011 Federal election, and yet the announcement of Seaspan and Irving Shipyards winning "a chance to negotiate contracts" didn`t take place until the Fall of 2011...

As you can see, the Irving Shipyard has been stalled, delayed and it appears that steel isn`t even being cut until 2015...

Oh perhaps you think I`m being picky, well, ....

What would you say if I told you this Federal shipbuilding carrot has been dangled since 2006?...And at the bottom of this post, a link to Harper`s shipbuilding betrayal in the year 2006...These shipbuilding proposals started then, to soothe the savage marine worker beast..

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Arctic Patrol Ship Project

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship Project is a Government of Canada procurement project for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) that is part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy.
In July 2007 the federal government announced plans for acquiring 6-8 icebreaking vessels for the RCN.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}

Norwegian Coast Guard vessel NoCGV Svalbard

The vessels are to be based on the Norwegian Svalbard class and as of 2007 are projected to cost $3.1 billion CAD to construct with a total project procurement budgeted to cost $4.3 billion in order to cover maintenance over the 25 year lifespan of the vessels.^[8]

Contents

Project History

In 2006 Prime Minister Stephen Harper had spoken about building three to four icebreakers capable of travelling through thick ice in the Arctic Ocean.^[9][10][11] 

 In 2007 it was announced that the Canadian Forces would purchase six to eight patrol ships having a polar class of PC-5, meaning that they were capable of limited ice breaking.^[12] 

 This announcement was met with some controversy, and the proposed ships have been called "slush-breakers", by Dr. Gary Stern, a scientist aboard CCGS Amundsen, and Jack Layton of the NDP.^[13][14] However, it is notable that of the nineteen Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers currently in service, only six have a polar class higher than PC 5.^[15]

In 2010 the Arctic Patrol Ship Project was grouped with several other federal government ship procurement projects for the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard into the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. The NSPS announced on October 19, 2011 that Irving Shipbuilding would be awarded the $25 billion contract for building six to eight Arctic patrol ships as well as fifteen other warships for the RCN over the next two decades.^[16]

Design

The vessels' design was initially intended to incorporate a conventional icebreaking bow for cruising, and would have proceeded backwards for breaking heavy ice. The vessels' stern would have been designed for ice breaking and they would have employed azimuth thrusters for propulsion and for chewing through resistant ice. However, due to cost constraints, a conventional bow-first design was chosen for both light and heavy icebreaking. The propulsion would be provided by diesel-electric twin shafts with bolt on propellers, similar to existing Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers.
The vessels will have a hangar and flight deck capable of employing and maintaining the same maritime helicopters as the RCN's other vessels; the CH-148 Cyclone when it enters service with the Royal Canadian Air Forces (RCAF), as well as the CH-149 Cormorant.^[7]
In 2008, a contract was awarded to BMT Fleet Technology and STX Canada Marine to assist in developing technical specifications and a design for the project. The technical specifications were to be used to draft a Request for Proposals. The government later awarded a design contract to BMT Fleet Technology and STX Canada Marine to develop the design of the vessel for issue to the selected NSPS proponent.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Patrol_Ship_Project

October 4, 2007 · 2:10 am

Under banner of ‘expanding free trade’: Destruction of workers’ rights and livelihood in shipbuilding

 http://tonyseed.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/under-banner-of-%E2%80%9Cexpanding-free-trade%E2%80%9D-destruction-of-workers%E2%80%99-rights-and-livelihood-in-shipbuilding-sector/

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 2006-2007-2008-2009-2010-2011-2012-2013?

I guarantee you these same shipbuilding contracts, eer, I mean these winning chances to negotiate shipbuilding contracts will still be in play and used as an election issue in 2015..

The Shipbuilding carrots have been dangled since 2006, it`s almost 2013 and no steel has been cut, remember what else happened in 2006/2007, Harper removed the dis-incentive for Canadian companies who want ships from foreign countries, it was then, at that time when Harper brought up and bandied these shipbuilding deals, that to soothe the angry marine workers, ..We here in BC know all too well, can you say German built ferries, ..As our BC facilities were shuttered, and then Harper removed the foreign vessel import duty, that at the request of Gordon Campbell..

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February 10th/2014.....Still ne shipbuilding steel cut, no jobs, shipbuilding budget slashed and burned, no infrastructure money for British Columbia..

A do-nothing cowardly budget, actually it`s a budget of job losses and cuts to public needed services..

Promised help for consumers in this 2014 budget was merely a slogan...Harper can`t legislate how much retailors can charge Canadian consumers..

Income -splitting that was promised 6 years ago is still absent...

Stephen Harper gets a FFF ...Failure, Failure, Failure on budget 2014..

The Straight Goods

Cheers Eyes Wide Open