Dear Amrit

Thank you for reaching out to my office regarding the government’s plan to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s aging 30 year old CF-18 fighter jet fleet. The current CF-18 fleet has been in need for replacement for some time now. Consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments have tried to prolong the lifespan of the fleet with costly retrofit programs. In order for Canada to maintain its domestic and international security responsibilities, new fighter jets are needed to ensure the RCAF maintains fleet readiness in defence of the country.

New Democrats continue to support providing the Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment and training they require to do the hard work we ask of them. On fighter jets, New Democrats have called on the government to support the purchasing of fighters that can operate safely and effectively in the Arctic while also being interoperable with our allies in NATO and NORAD. We have also called for the government to make it a condition of any winning bid for the planes to be manufactured in Canada using Canadian aerospace expertise and resources, similar to the pan-Canadian approach taken with the construction of the Navy’s new ships. In addition to stimulating the Canadian economy during the post-pandemic rebuild, Canada would maintain sovereignty over strategic defence equipment and maintenance.

New Democrats believe the first priority for the Canadian government is to work multilaterally with our global partners to ensure peaceful dialogue and resolutions to any conflict. However, there is still a role to play for new fighter jets in the defence of Canada’s vast airspace, especially to aid the Navy in the patrol of domestic waters and airspace in a warming arctic. Both the Russian and Chinese militaries have increased their encroachments in to North America and have been intercepted and escorted out of Canadian airspace by RCAF pilots. This is a key method of asserting Canadian sovereignty and one that New Democrats do not want to be ceded to the United States.

New Democrats are pleased with the work that the Canadian Armed Forces are doing in working towards more sustainable operations in the fight against climate change. The military has taken steps on mitigating their impact by reducing energy use and have been partnering with industry on research in to sustainable fuels for their equipment. However there is still a lot more work for the military to do on this and any future fighter jet procurement must take environmental impacts in to consideration in both manufacturing and during operations.

The CF-18s have needed to be replaced for several years as they are quickly approaching their end of life and the parts necessary to maintain and refurbish them become more difficult and expensive to acquire. As it is now, Canada will not take delivery of new fighters until 2025. New Democrats are critical of the government for taking a long time to establish the competition to replace the CF-18s and for not making a winning bid conditional on building in Canada, however we are supportive that the process is underway.

In order to move the world forward to an end to war, New Democrats believe that Canada should take a leadership role in the global efforts to reduce arms. The Liberals could start this effort immediately by signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and to take a leadership role within NATO on developing a clear and timely path to the reduction and abolition of nuclear weapons in accordance with the Alliance’s stated commitment to creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons.

Sincerely,

Randall Garrison, MP
Esquimalt – Saanich – Sooke