Harper Government Risks Manitoba Jobs for Trivial Saving

MCI denied federal contract because of a half per cent difference in price.

Manitoba Federation of Labour President Darlene Dziewit has condemned the Harper government's decision to deny Manitoba based bus manufacturer Motor Coach Industries (MCI) a $14 million bus procurement contract in favour of a German bid that as less than .5 per cent - $60,000 - lower.

Dziewit said "The 'New Government' of Canada governs an awful lot like the old government - denying Manitoba companies needed federal contracts and putting good quality Manitoba jobs at risk."

The Mulroney Conservatives enraged Manitobans in the late 1980s by denying a consortium of Manitoba companies a lucrative maintenance contract for CF-18 military aircraft for political reasons.

"Harper is slave to his bean-counter ideology - even when it involves a pittance like a less than .5 per cent saving - $2000 per bus. He's willing to put well-paid manufacturing jobs and a $14 million injection into Manitoba's economy at risk and route the economic benefits and spin-offs to another continent. This turns good governance and good public policy into a train wreck," said Dziewit.

The MFL president wonders where Manitoba's lead cabinet minister, Treasury Board President Vic Toews is. When will he finally do his job and represent the interests of Manitoba in the cabinet room. If this is an example of how the 'New Government' thinks Canada should be governed, then it's dead wrong.

"Good government means putting the interests of Canadians first whenever possible - money raised from Canadian taxpayers should be used to benefit Canadians. It's clear that the Harper government's procurement policy is wrong headed if a contract tender's value difference of .5 per cent is enough to deny Canadians the benefit of it.

"Toews worries about being sued by the German company if the contract is awarded to MCI now. He wouldn't have that worry if the Harper government had put Canadian interests first when they slapped together their trade and procurement policies."