Statement By Secretary of State Fuhr On The Downselection Of The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project
Statement
The Secretary of State (Defence Procurement) Fuhr has released the following statement following the downselection of Team GerNor as the Preferred Supplier for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project:
Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy is about making defence procurement work for Canada.
Today, we are putting this approach into action. I was pleased to visit CFB Esquimalt to announce TKMS as the preferred supplier to begin negotiations to deliver Canada's next fleet of submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy. TKMS provided one of the most comprehensive economic benefit proposals in the history of Canadian defence procurement, and we are looking forward to working with our German and Norwegian Allies.
This reflects the Partner pillar of our Build-Partner-Buy approach. By working with trusted allies and world-leading firms, Canada can move faster to equip the Canadian Armed Forces while creating opportunities for Canadian companies to enter global supply chains, develop new expertise, and support this capability here at home.
This is how we strengthen Canada's sovereignty, support Canadian workers, and build the industrial base our country needs for the future.
Well, I guess that answers the speculation about what he was doing making a press statement on the other side of the country at the same time as the PM. In retrospect, it seems obvious, but I think it's a bit of a new direction to allow someone else to share the PMs thunder on the other side of the country like this. It shows an interesting level of teamwork, but it also shows that the people in charge of scheduling this announcement don't just see the location of the announcement as arbitrary, and only the content is important. They recognize that 2 communities on opposite coasts are heavily invested in decisions, and they chose to make the effort to show them both respect. I find that subtly affirming. Someone, and likely with input from or consent from the PM, made a decision to release the information in a specific way, in a way that was almost certain to go unacknowledged and quickly forgotten by a majority of news consumers. While I'm sure some people in BC really appreciated the gesture, the fact that the gesture was made at all was the most telling.