Harper holds photo op for shipbuilding
Posted Jan 12, 2012 11:45:02 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Hundreds of Irving Shipyard workers took a break to participate in a highly-stage photo opportunity with the Prime Minister during his visit to Halifax Thursday.
Stephen Harper announced that the federal government had reached an agreement in principle with the shipyard to build Navy warships.
The $25-billion contract was first announced in the fall and this event offered little new information.
A few details were gleaned including whether the design for the warships will be drawn by a Canadian company or outsourced, as Irving Shipyard works to build 21 combat vessels under its $25-billion deal.
“The design work is all ultimately part of the package,” Harper told reporters during the brief question and answer period. “There are still many decisions to be made in that regard. Obviously we try to minimize design costs, but ultimately there will be Canadian design components in all of this.”
Media was corralled during the event and only allowed to ask the Prime Minister five questions in total, and no follow-up questions. Afterward, members of Irving Shipyard spoke freely to media.
CEO Jim Irving echoed the Prime Minister’s statement.
“Clearly we’d like to keep as much work in Canada as possible, but we have to have good value and be very efficient,” Irving told reporters following the event. “Be as efficient as possible, off the shelf where possible and as much in Canada as possible.”
Irving also said he is currently in negotiations with the provincial government for how much it will contribute to the upgrade and expansion of the yard. He said he has already spent $90 million and is planning to spend substantially more.
He said the expansion will start in the fall.
President Steve Durrell said he expects there will be two contracts with the government, one for the Navy frigates and the other for the arctic offshore patrol ships. He said he thinks Irving will have its first contract for the ships within the year.
