Ottawa - Today, Michael Ignatieff emerged from his Liberal Caucus Meeting promising to cancel the purchase of the F35 fighter jet if his Liberal-led Coalition wins the next federal election. In doing he is threatening the jobs and livelihoods of the 80,000 workers in the Canada’s aerospace industry. When the economic recovery is still fragile, the last thing the aerospace workers and their families need is Michael Ignatieff threatening their jobs.

For the Liberal-led Coalition, it's back to school season because they clearly still have a lot to learn.  Despite the fact they have been told by military and industry experts alike, that thanks to the Conservative government's investment in the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) program, Canada will be creating jobs, economic growth and opportunity for decades to come.

Recently, Michael Ignatieff said he wasn't sure the F-35 was the right aircraft for Canada.  However, Chief of the Air Staff Lieutenant General J.P.A. Deschamps confirmed the F-35 is the best aircraft to replace Canada's ageing CF-18 fleet.

In fact, he stated categorically that "the F-35 Lightning II will provide Canada with the greatest probability of mission success, and the greatest probability that our men and women will survive, returning safely from their missions."

Michael Ignatieff is also questioning the price and affordability of the F-35.  Again, Lieutenant General Deschamps stated clearly that "the F-35 offers (the) best cost value of any fighter available to us."

Let me also suggest Michael Ignatieff needs a lesson in economics, a subject he has proven to struggle with.  Witness after witness, including Claude Lajeunesse, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, said the F-35 program will create well-paying and highly skilled jobs across Canada, benefitting our economy for years to come.

In fact, multiple aerospace industry experts said delaying or cancelling the Joint Strike Fighter program (as Ignatieff has vowed) would effectively block Canadian companies from bidding on billions of dollars worth of aerospace contracts.

Mr. Ignatieff says he wants to know the strategy and the missions for which the F35’s will be deployed. Somehow he seems to think foreign antagonists will provide Canada with “advance notice” about future military conflicts and that purchasing fighter jets is like picking up a 67 Chevy at a used car lot.

Our Conservative government is committed to providing the men and women of the Canadian Forces the right tools, equipment, ships, planes and helicopters to do the dangerous jobs asked of them. Unlike the Ignatieff-NDP-Bloc Québécois Coalition, we won’t play politics when it comes to providing our brave men and women with the tools they need to do their job.