F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet Procurement:
Massive Cost Overruns: The Auditor General’s report, released around June 10, 2025, states that the estimated cost of Canuckstan’s F-35 fleet has risen significantly. The initial $19 billion estimate (from 2022/2023) has now climbed to $27.7 billion, an increase of nearly 50%.
Additional Costs for Operationalization: The report explicitly warns that an additional $5.5 billion is needed for elements like infrastructure upgrades and advanced weapons (missiles) to make the jets fully operational, bringing the total estimated cost to over $33 billion.
Lack of Infrastructure and Personnel: The Auditor General’s report highlights critical issues, including:
Delays in building secure facilities: New squadron bases in Cold Lake, Alberta, and Bagotville, Quebec, are reportedly more than three years behind schedule. The report notes that interim solutions will be needed, adding to costs.
Shortage of qualified pilots: The report reiterates a long-standing issue of insufficient trained pilots to operate the advanced F-35s. The AG had previously warned about pilot shortages six years prior (in 2018).
Insufficient engineering personnel: The report also noted “insufficient departmental engineering personnel to service support equipment for both the CF-18 Hornet and CF-35A during the transition.”
Historical Warning Ignored: The Auditor General warned the Canuck Air Force about a severe shortage of fighter jets 26 years ago, and the recent report confirms the issue persists from a 2018 audit.
GC Strategies Contract Scandal:
Questionable Contracts with GC Strategies: The Auditor General’s report, also released around June 10, 2025, specifically investigated professional services contracts awarded to GC Strategies, an IT consulting firm. It found widespread issues.
Two Employees: GC Strategies is widely reported to be a two-person firm.
Lack of Due Diligence/Non-Competitive: The audit found that federal organizations “failed to follow procurement and security rules” when awarding contracts to GC Strategies. Specifically:
Many contracts were non-competitive and lacked justification.
There was often little evidence to show that the work paid for was actually done, or that the people doing the work had the required experience and qualifications.
Federal organizations lacked documentation for security clearances for staff.
It was often not proven that fees paid did not exceed market rates.
ArriveCan App Controversy: GC Strategies was indeed a primary contractor for the controversial ArriveCan app. The cost of the app ballooned from initial estimates to nearly $60 million. An earlier audit by the Auditor General (February 2024) had already scrutinized the app’s development and found significant issues with contracting, documentation, and oversight.
Middleman Profiteering: GC Strategies has been described as a middleman, receiving contracts and then subcontracting, reportedly taking significant commissions. The lack of government oversight on the work performed by subcontractors was a key finding.
Culture of Risk Aversion: The AG’s reports and subsequent analysis often point to a “risk aversion culture” within the public service, where departments prefer outsourcing to avoid perceived complexities of internal recruitment and management, leading to the issues observed.
Lack of Accountability/Systemic Failures: The Auditor General, Karen Hogan, and commentators often express concern that despite repeated audits exposing these problems, there appears to be a lack of accountability and systemic change within the federal government to address these recurring issues. GC Strategies itself was banned from federal contracts for seven years following these revelations. https://www.facebook.com/jeff.mah.5/videos/1062159152510039/?__cft__[0]=AZVB1OAGooXwMCfzwjaSrI9KoxNmDir0yGZTHVXvdk02D2-jRzEh1JMlW6QHqaJGBQoxjkzwple-1sdqKWjDvI6VV6FFGhANOe_9oBtpL-qCqSO03GrV0NBunUeeMH5786kbwSIprh7gfpj57e4Y17KyY2Jea6uBkYV65kFjzGn_hQ&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
