As Canada enters negotiations to purchase F-35 fighter jets, the federal procurement minister won’t give a specific number on how much they will cost.
Appearing on CTV News Channel’s Power Play on Monday, host Evan Solomon pressed Minister Filomena Tassi repeatedly on an estimated cost for the fighter jets.
“Do you know the final number of the budget over the lifespan of the jet?” Solomon asked Tassi. “I can’t share the details of what the cost is because that would compromise the process,” she responded.
The federal government is in final negotiations with Lockheed Martin Corporation to replace Canada’s CF-18s with 88 new fighter jets. The government previously budgeted up to $19 billion for the jets.
In 2015, the Liberal election campaign platform included a promise not to buy F-35s, saying a Liberal government would instead purchase a lower-priced fighter jet.
