Stephen Harper has come to the defence of beleaguered Nova Scotia lieutenant Peter MacKay. The Defence Minister found himself under attack in the House of Commons once again Thursday, this time for racking up nearly $3-million in flights on Challenger jets since he took on the portfolio.
Flight records obtained by The Globe and Mail show Mr. MacKay outranks all cabinet colleagues aside from Mr. Harper when it comes to ordering federal government executive jets.
It’s the latest piece of bad news for the party’s Nova Scotia lieutenant, who was criticized in recent days for enlisting a search-and-rescue helicopter to ferry him from a Newfoundland fishing camp after a vacation there.
Mr. Harper, however, said all Mr. MacKay’s flights were legitimate. “When he has used them, they’ve been for important government business,” the Prime Minister told the Commons.
He invoked fallen soldiers in defending his minister, saying half of Mr. MacKay’s flights were to attend repatriation ceremonies where the remains of dead troopers were returned to Canada.
“Half of those flights are for repatriation ceremonies so that he can meet the families of those who have lost their loved ones in the service of this country. He goes there to show that we understand their sacrifice, we share their pain and we care about them,” the Prime Minister said.
“That is why the Minister of Defence is so highly regarded.”
Records show, however, that there were 35 flights where Mr. MacKay’s office requested the Challenger jets. These are flights where Mr. MacKay is listed as the main passenger – “VIP” or “user requesting” the planes. Of these, only nine were to attend repatriation ceremonies.
The Harper defence of Mr. MacKay is comparing apples and oranges, however. It measures a much bigger pool of flights, including those where the Nova Scotia minister was merely a passenger on jets ordered not by his office but by others, including the military.
If these ride-along flights counted as being ordered up at the behest of Mr. MacKay, than his total mileage and costs for the last four years would be much higher than 247 hours and $2.9-million.
NDP defence critic Jack Harris accused Mr. Harper of taking cover behind soldiers in defending Mr. MacKay.
“I think there’s a little bit of hiding behind that by the Prime Minister. That’s not necessary and not appropriate,” Mr. Harris said.
He noted that repatriation ceremonies are not normally organized on “the spur of the moment” and are highly planned in advance.
“Is this a necessary government expenditures when we’re on the cusp of another recession? I think we’re talking about a government here that is out of touch with what ordinary Canadians think.”
Mr. Harper said his government’s use of the executive jets is down 70 per cent from the last years of the former Liberal government.
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Source: Globe&Mail
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