Commentary

There is audio for this story. click to open MP3 version  or click the play button to listen now.

July 29, 2010

by: Ross Kentner

It is written that history repeats itself but it’s more likely that those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. I can’t help wondering if Canadians are about to witness a "distant replay" of the Diefenbaker era.

I’m talking about 1959 when Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker destroyed five Avro Arrows that represented the pinnacle of aviation technology of the day. The decision threw 14-thousand people out of work and sparked a major brain drain to the United States.

Then the government went on a spending spree across the border buying up the inferior Voodoo and later, of course, Bomarc missiles. History has not only condemned Diefenbaker’s decision but questioned who he was answering to in destroying all copies of our advanced aircraft.

Today the Conservative government of Stephen Harper is looking to replace our aging fleet of CF-18s…the ones we just spent $2.6 billion to upgrade. The Liberals say the massive purchase of 65 jets should have been as a result of a competitive bidding process. After all, the contract is worth $9 billion, which could rise to as much $18 billion once the government signs a maintenance contract.

It’s never easy for the ordinary taxpayer to evaluate a situation like this. We know that Canada has invested in the development of the new generation F-35s and we’re supposed to get some of the contracts for their production. But if "perception is everything," as they say, we’ll continue as hewers of wood and drawers of water while subsidizing the U.S. aerospace industry.

But while I’m on this topic I want to thank Don Evans of Meaford and Bill Hall of Owen Sound, two aviation history buffs, for reminding me that Canada’s A. V. Roe had an operational jet liner ten years ahead of the States. The two copies of this leading edge technology were also deliberately destroyed only, this time, by a Liberal government.

Can you say "Canadian conspiracy theories?" Who knew?

Commentary, with Ross Kentner, can be heard on 560 CFOS Tuesdays & Thursdays at 7:08 am and 5:08 pm