Peter MacKay Coming to a Military Base Near You With “Announceables”

Defence Minister Peter MacKay has been racking up the air mile points with his series of announcements this summer.

And there’s more to come, Defence Watch has learned.

In June the word went out to DND and Canadian Forces organizations that MacKay’s staff was looking for “announceables” for the summer months. The criteria were lax and almost any project – equipment or infrastructure – that he could announce, no matter what the dollar amount, would be accepted. Even announcements that had been made before would qualify.

So you are now seeing the results.

Earlier this week MacKay travelled to CFB Suffield to “re-announce” the construction of a couple of buildings there.

But as a local journalist pointed out most of the money for the buildings was coming from the British government, whose troops train at the base. Besides that, the details about the buildings had already been announced in January and in February of this year. (the buildings will be complete in August/Sept.)

Earlier this week MacKay announced plans to construct a new armoury in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, although the project is already underway and is in its design phase.

He was also in Halifax this week to announce what the government called an important milestone for the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy – a $9 million contract to start design work on the Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships (a project which has fallen three years behind schedule).

It’s all part of the government’s ongoing public relations strategy to be constantly seen to be making announcements.

MacKay’s office has excelled at this. In April his office set a record of sorts, issuing an unprecedented number of press releases – 7 in total – the same day.

The releases covered everything from a window-cleaning contract at RMC (no mention though of the 68 profs whose jobs are on the line) to a $33,000 painting contract. Each, noted MacKay, proved that the government was “continuing to provide the Canadian economy with local jobs sustained by these defence infrastructure projects.” Each press release also carried the reassuring claim that the Canadian Forces “is a first-class military.”

Military officers point out that the Harper government has also taken to announcing minor sub-contracts for various equipment projects, complete with a press conference/visit to the company in question from a minister or local MP….something previous governments – both Liberal and Conservative – hadn’t done (a couple of these subcontracts have already been announced for the LAV-lll upgrade, including one this week).

Such big projects like LAV-lll upgrade or the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy will be able to provide hundreds of minor “announceables” over the years.

In addition, there is more to come for MacKay. MacKay is expected to travel to Aldergrove, BC on July 15, then to CFB Esquimalt on July 19, then over to CFB Wainwright the next day, all for infrastructure announcements. He then takes a break but he’ll be back at it for a War of 1812 announcement on July 22.

Then it’s over to CFB Gagetown on July 24 for another infrastructure announcement. And that’s just for July.

Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen
Author:  David Pugliese