Critics Ask Why Is Harper Government Hiring Consultants to Audit F-35 Costs and Provide Advice on Defence Cost-Cutting When It Already Has Reports On Both Issues?

The cost of the government’s audit into  the F-35 purchase has jumped $62,000 in a couple of months.

The Harper government originally said it would spend $645,535 to hire KPMG to review the costing figures the military put forward for the F-35.

In response to a written question asked by the Liberal Party on October 3, Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose revealed that the contract for KPMG to audit the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter would cost taxpayers $705,854.50, up from the previously announced $643,535, according to a news release from Liberal defence critic John McKay.

KPMG is reviewing the DND’s “acquisition and sustainment project assumptions and potential costs for the replacement of the CF-18s.”

But McKay and other critics are questioning why the government is spending the money in the first place, pointing out that both the Parliamentary Budget Officer and the Auditor General provided costing figures for the F-35.

McKay also pointed to a Citizen article from last week which revealed that the Defence Department will spend $2 million to hire a consultant to tell it how to save money.

McKay said the government already has the 2011 report by Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie on how cuts could be made. He said it was ironic that central to Leslie’s report was his recommendation to severely reduce the DND/CF reliance on consultants.

“It’s no wonder the Conservatives are running massive deficits because they are spending princely sums of taxpayers money so that they can neglect their responsibilities,” McKay said. “Canadians deserve more responsible fiscal stewardship during this time of restraint, not a government that is ducking work.”

Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: David Pugliese