Canada's $35B Navy & Coast Guard Fleets Contract: Procurement Results Announced

Francois Guimont, Deputy Minister of Public Works & Govt Services Canada (PWGSC) just announced the two winners are:

Combat Contract: Irving Davies Shipyard in Halifax.

Non-combat contract: Seaspan Shipyard in Vancouver.

The third competitor led by Lavalin for the shipyard based in Levis, Quebec was the unsuccessful bidder.

According to the fed govt, this multi-billion dollar procurement has been a non-politicizing process. All activities related to the request for proposals (RFPs), evaluations of submitted proposals and the selection of the successful bidders were performed by bureaucrats (such as the non-partisan public servants working for DM Francois). The govt has even hired a third party Fairness Monitor (represented by Peter Woods at the Oct 19, 2011 Press Conference/Announcement) to distance itself from the procurement process.

I must say I am impressed when politicians place the good of the country ahead of their own political gains. Many Canadians still remember the controversies of the contract bidding and selection processes associated with the CF-18 and CF-35 fighter jets. In both cases, the fed govt was accused of political interferences and favouritism at the expense of the country's interest.

While the Harper govt will no doubt receive an ear-full from the Quebec media, nationalists and politicians after the announcement, the former should have little problem defending their position.

And I could almost hear the Minister of PWGSC saying this to Francois:

"You are holding a very responsible job here. If anything goes wrong, you are responsible."

And that's the way it should be when there are no political interventions.


Haricot


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