Shipyard shrugs off navy scandal, touts benefits of new supply vessel
OTTAWA — The Quebec shipbuilding company at the centre of the RCMP’s case against ViceAdmiral Mark Norman is shrugging off the controversy and says it is on track to deliver an interim supply ship for the navy this fall.
Chantier-Davie has been under the microscope since court documents emerged last week in which the RCMP allege Norman leaked cabinet secrets to the shipbuilding company.
The Mounties allege Norman was upset that the federal Liberal government was reconsidering a $700-million plan hatched by the Conservatives to have Davie to convert a civilian ship into an interim navy supply vessel.
John Schmidt, vice-president of Federal Fleet Services, which Davie set up to manage the ship project, wouldn’t comment on the RCMP’s case against Norman.
That includes an email submitted to the court in which Schmidt suggests trying to “pressure” Treasury Board president Scott Brison as part of an apparent effort to get the Liberals to stick with the Davie deal.
“We certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong,” Schmidt said of Davie’s actions in an interview with the Canadian Press. “Other than that, I can’t comment.”
But Schmidt was quick to tout the actual conversion project, which he said is on budget and entering the final stage of completion following the arrival of a key module from Finland.
And he suggested the military, and all Canadians, will be happy with the results once the ship, which goes by the name MV Astérix, is delivered to the navy later this year.
“People will judge Astérix based on the quality of that vessel,” he said, “and the great work done by the people at Davie.”