By CP

Trudeau pressed in Quebec City to give more contracts to David shipyard

Jan 25, 2019 | 2:43 PM

QUEBEC — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing pointed questions in Quebec City over his government’s refusal to give a second contract to the Davie shipyard for a supply vessel.

Trudeau told members of the city’s business community today that he is looking at ways to provide more work for the shipyard, but a second supply ship is simply not needed right now.

Pierre Drapeau, president of the association of suppliers to the shipyard, told Trudeau that work is urgently needed at Davie. He said less than 3 per cent of the contracts from Ottawa’s national shipbuilding strategy have gone to the Levis shipyard, which is across the river from Quebec City, and workers are losing their jobs.

Trudeau blamed the previous Conservative government of Stephen Harper for awarding ship-building contracts to Vancouver and Halifax while leaving out Quebec’s capital.

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He said he understands the frustration, but Canada can’t be seen as a country that tears up previously signed contracts when a new government is elected.

The federal government awarded Quebec-based Davie Shipbuilding a $700-million contract to convert a civilian container ship into a temporary supply vessel and lease it to the navy for at least five years. Davie has offered to convert and lease another ship for $500 million, but the navy says that’s not needed.

In a recent interview with The Canadian Press, Royal Canadian Navy commander Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd said he was “comfortable” with having only one temporary support ship in the water at this time.

The Canadian Press