Defence Minister Peter MacKay has been facing a lot of opposition heat over the helicopter ride that ended his summer vacation at a fishing lodge in Newfoundland and Labrador in July of last year.
It wasn’t just any helicopter that ferried him to Gander airport so he could catch a ride with a government jet to get to an event in London, Ont. It was a CH-149 Cormorant – one of three the air force has stationed near Gander for search and rescue operations.
MacKay insists the pick-up was part of a training exercise. The opposition is crying foul – especially after recently released emails cast doubt on the training exercise explanation.
Here’s a timeline of developments in the affair.
July 6, 2010
Defence Minister Peter MacKay’s office requests the air force provide a helicopter to pick him up at a fishing lodge on the Gander River. The request notes that MacKay had to “unexpectedly” get to London, Ont. Citing the potential for negative press, a senior military official advised against using a military chopper to pick up MacKay.
July 9, 2010
An air force search and rescue helicopter arrives at the Burnt Rattle fishing lodge on the Gander River in Newfoundland and Labrador. The mission: to get Defence Minister Peter MacKay to the airport in Gander so he could catch a ride with a government jet that would take him to a noon event in London, Ont. The airport is a two hour boat and car ride from the lodge – or a 25 minute helicopter flight. The military estimates it costs $32,000 an hour to keep the chopper – a CH-149 Cormorant – in the air.
An earlier air force reconnaissance flight over the area determined there was not a suitable place to land the chopper, so a hoist was lowered to pick up MacKay.
MacKay boarded a government Challenger jet in Gander for the flight to London, where he announced a $34.4 million armoured vehicle upgrade project.
Sept. 22, 2011
In the House of Commons, the NDP demands Peter MacKay repay the government for the cost of his helicopter trip to Gander airport. MacKay defends the trip, saying he cut short his vacation in order to take part in a search and rescue training exercise with the military, something he had been trying to do for a few years.
Sept. 29, 2011
Peter MacKay is criticized before a House of Commons committee for “excessive” use of government aircraft. The defence minister had logged more hours on government jets than any other cabinet minister since 2008. The country’s ethics commissioner – Mary Dawson – told the committee that some rules may have been broken when MacKay was picked up at the fishing lodge. Meantime, Prime Minister Harper defended MacKay’s use of government aircraft, saying MacKay has logged 70 per cent fewer hours than his Liberal predecessors.
Dec 1, 2011
Peter Mackay sticks to his story that he cut short his vacation to take part in a military training exercise and to get to London, Ont., for an important government announcement. That’s why, he said, he need the services of a government search and rescue helicopter to get to Gander airport from a fishing lodge, which was a two-hour boat and car trip away.
However, senior defence officials advise against using a military chopper because of the potential for bad press. Only one email makes reference to a training exercise.
“This mission will be under the guise of” a search and rescue demonstration, reads an email by Lt.-Col. Chris Bulls.
In the House of Commons, MacKay maintained he was taking part in a “showcase” search-and-rescue exercise that had long been offered by the military.
“I stated I took part in a search-and-rescue demonstration,” the minister said in the Commons.
“That in fact happened.”
Dec. 2, 2011
Opposition MPs demand that Peter MacKay apologize for his use of a military helicopter to fly him from a Newfoundland fishing camp. MacKay is not in the House to hear the demand.
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