Post by ferryfast admin on Oct 12, 2011 10:20:46 GMT -5
Turmel: Ship cash for all
NDP boss says $35b will provide ‘enough work for everybody’
By DAVID JACKSON Provincial Reporter
thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1268011.html
Wed, Oct 12 - 4:53 AM
The interim leader of the federal NDP says $35 billion in shipbuilding work should be enough for shipyards across the country to share in.
"We are looking for a fair and accessible and transparent process to make sure that there’s work for everybody," Nycole Turmel said Tuesday in Halifax.
Ottawa is expected to soon announce the successful bidders for the $25-billion contract to build combat ships and $8 billion in work for non-combat vessels.
There are three bidders on the shortlist — Irving Shipbuilding of Halifax, Seaspan Marine Corp. in British Columbia, and the Davie shipyard near Quebec City. The Davie bid is a partnership of Upper Lakes Marine & Industrial of St. Catharines, Ont., SNC-Lavalin of Montreal and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering of South Korea.
The losing yard would also be able to bid on $2 billion in smaller projects.
Turmel wouldn’t say whether she thinks the $25 billion for the combat vessel work should be split so that there could be major work for each of the three bidders.
"I will say that there’s enough work for everybody, so the government can look at it, what is the best for each (province)."
She said the NDP caucus, with more than half its members from Quebec, doesn’t favour one bid over another.
The Davie yard is now idle and needed an extension to the application deadline to get its bid in.
The caucus just wants a fair, transparent process, Turmel said.
Premier Darrell Dexter, a promoter of Irving’s bid, said it was Ottawa that said there would be one yard building the combat ships.
"We are participating in the process that was set out by the federal government, and we, of course, expect it to be based on merit," Dexter said.
The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy Secretariat has said one yard will be selected to build the combat vessels and another to build non-combat vessels.
Neither Turmel nor Dexter said they read anything into the federal government’s recent announcements of billions for Quebec in the form of funding to replace Montreal’s Champlain Bridge and as compensation for harmonizing the provincial and federal sales taxes.
There is some speculation the announcements could signal the Davie yard won’t get one of the big contracts.
Turmel said she would like to see Ottawa create another infrastructure program to create jobs and help fend off another recession.
Dexter met with Turmel at Province House. Turmel said they talked about the MV Miner, which has been aground at Scatarie Island for about three weeks, the upcoming negotiations on health-care funding and the economy.
NDP boss says $35b will provide ‘enough work for everybody’
By DAVID JACKSON Provincial Reporter
thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1268011.html
Wed, Oct 12 - 4:53 AM
The interim leader of the federal NDP says $35 billion in shipbuilding work should be enough for shipyards across the country to share in.
"We are looking for a fair and accessible and transparent process to make sure that there’s work for everybody," Nycole Turmel said Tuesday in Halifax.
Ottawa is expected to soon announce the successful bidders for the $25-billion contract to build combat ships and $8 billion in work for non-combat vessels.
There are three bidders on the shortlist — Irving Shipbuilding of Halifax, Seaspan Marine Corp. in British Columbia, and the Davie shipyard near Quebec City. The Davie bid is a partnership of Upper Lakes Marine & Industrial of St. Catharines, Ont., SNC-Lavalin of Montreal and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering of South Korea.
The losing yard would also be able to bid on $2 billion in smaller projects.
Turmel wouldn’t say whether she thinks the $25 billion for the combat vessel work should be split so that there could be major work for each of the three bidders.
"I will say that there’s enough work for everybody, so the government can look at it, what is the best for each (province)."
She said the NDP caucus, with more than half its members from Quebec, doesn’t favour one bid over another.
The Davie yard is now idle and needed an extension to the application deadline to get its bid in.
The caucus just wants a fair, transparent process, Turmel said.
Premier Darrell Dexter, a promoter of Irving’s bid, said it was Ottawa that said there would be one yard building the combat ships.
"We are participating in the process that was set out by the federal government, and we, of course, expect it to be based on merit," Dexter said.
The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy Secretariat has said one yard will be selected to build the combat vessels and another to build non-combat vessels.
Neither Turmel nor Dexter said they read anything into the federal government’s recent announcements of billions for Quebec in the form of funding to replace Montreal’s Champlain Bridge and as compensation for harmonizing the provincial and federal sales taxes.
There is some speculation the announcements could signal the Davie yard won’t get one of the big contracts.
Turmel said she would like to see Ottawa create another infrastructure program to create jobs and help fend off another recession.
Dexter met with Turmel at Province House. Turmel said they talked about the MV Miner, which has been aground at Scatarie Island for about three weeks, the upcoming negotiations on health-care funding and the economy.