Dosanjh: "Bring back the Arrow"

A Cannonball Press report:

VANCOUVER (CBP): The Liberal Party's defence critic, Ujjal Dosanjh, in an exclusive interview with the Cannonball Press today, said that "a key commitment of the Liberal Party in the next federal election will be to re-institute production of the CF-105 Arrow interceptor fighter. "The CBC made a documentary about the Arrow", he said. "All you need are those pictures and you're on your way to the new Arrow."

Mr Dosanjh stated that all eleven Liberal leadership candidates had agreed that "a new Arrow was essential for a sane Canadian defence policy." The defence critic noted that several companies had challenged the Conservative governement's "uncompetitive strategy to please the Americans" in fast-tracking, from members of the US military-industrial complex, the acquisition of strategic and tactical airlifters, and medium- to heavy-lift helicopters.

Mr Dosanjh said the Liberal Party was issuing its own challenge to Harper's regime: "Canada is pouring over $150 million into the sinkhole of the American Joint Strike Fighter, an aircraft that faces an uncertain future. Why not instead bring back the Arrow?"

According the Mr Dosanjh, the Arrow would suit what he described as "Canadian values". He stressed that the Joint Strike Fighter, with its multi-role capabilities, could be used "to drop bombs on innocent civilians while the Arrow, as an interceptor, was only suited to deal with other aircraft." He went on to say that "asserting our sovereignty in the north is the most important mission of our Air Force and the Arrow is the perfect airplane to do that. And, heaven forbid, should there ever be an event in Canadian airspace like that of 9/11 the Arrow is the perfect plane to handle the militant aircraft."

Mr Dosanjh said the Liberals envisaged a purchase of ten aircraft at a cost of $10 billion. He maintained that "in light of the industrial benefits to Canada, this was a small price to pay to be proud of the Canadian aerospace industry. Harper's Tories are planning to spend $3.4 billion for four C-17 transports whose main purpose will be to rapidly deploy Canadian troops to take part in Bush's neo-con, never-ending and crazy war on terror. We Liberals want to spend the tax-payers' hard-earned money defending Canada, not attacking the people of Afghanistan."

Mr Dosanjh concluded the interview by contrasting a key element of the Liberal proposal with a Conservative election campaign promise to station a regular army battalion in Goose Bay: "We Liberals, unlike the Tories, are not making militarily silly promises to help Goose Bay. We will have Bombardier build a facility at Goose Bay to produce the Arrow. Now that makes sense if you really want to help the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador."

The defence reporter of the Ottawa Citizen, David Pugliese , was asked to comment on Mr Dosanjh's proposal. Mr Pugliese stressed that defence experts had been raising the point that the "Hillier Youth" were leading Canada to a "Bush-style" defence policy. "A new Arrow would go a long way toward reversing that trend", according to Mr Pugliese.

The Cannonball Press did a web check on Steve Staples, a defence analyst Mr Pugliese has previously quoted [see bottom of page at immediately preceding link - MC]. This is one thing that the CBP found.

Mark "Cannonball" C.

Posted by markc at August 5, 2006 08:13 PM