Critics say DND asks too much of shipbuilders

[STONEY]

NAVY BLUE SHAKE YOUR HEAD.  If  what you say is true then we would have to close all steel plants in the western world because they make steel cheaper in Asia. We would have to close all car plants in the west because Korea can build them cheaper. We would have to get rid of farmers because its cheaper to farm in Africa. The list goes on & on and your not facing reality. The only reason the auto industry exists in North America is because gov. regs. require all company's selling here have to make a certain % here. Everyone knows that Canadian shipyards cannot compete, and the Canadian Gov. has made a decision not to support them, but most of the rest of the world does subsidize its national shipyards including those countrys in Asia. Read the history of Hyundai & you'll see that without Gov. financing & a massive national effort it wouldn't be the largest shipbuilding co. in the world .  Take a look at any of the worlds large military contracts and you'll see that the company's that won had to give 100-150% offset to land them. ie if a German shipyard wins a 1 billion contract to build frigates & subs for South Africa they have to promise to spend 1.5 billion in that country but they consider it necessary to keep their industry alive. This is the way the world turns like it or not.

 

[Navy_Blue]

Why does our ship build industry deserve a cent from our government.  They get $$$$$ every year to fix and refit our ships and they rob us blind and do half the work they were contracted to do.  They all know what a CPF is and they all know what kind of condition they are in before the are turned over for a refit.  Some how they always go over budget and over time (which makes me think the contracts are under bid to begin with knowing the gov will pay either way).  Hyundai is probably a much bigger cash cow and tax payer than our ship yards have ever been.  With its history its probably a much more patriotic company.  Our ship building industry does everything in its power to funnel tax money offshore and rob the government blind.  If a private company hired our ship yards to refit or repair its ships the treatment & quality of work would be night and day from what DND receives.

I'm sure if Germany is building ships with contracts like that they are also written in to have refits and supply parts training ect.  That would more than make up for spending cash in foreign countries.  Its not like they do it at a loss.  The Germans have good long term plans for ship building which in part comes from planning by its department of defence.  That kind of planning allows for a sustainable industry and allows them to go after other work while maintaining there work force.

The point of this thread is that they are expecting too much work from our government.  The amount of ships being discused is not going to be expected to be completed over night.  We're talking 20+ years here.  In that time they will surely have more orders to replace what is in the water now.  They are starting to make plans and I think they will try and keep them.  Its time for our industry to see this stop crying, step up and take the work or let some one else do it.