F-35s … Does More Money = More Jobs?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/pr-blitz-aims-to-sell-skeptical-public-on-need-for-f-35-fighter-jets/article1812733/

The government of Canada spends taxpayer’s money to fund many things including the military, and the government is expected to spend this money responsibly, because of this mandate questions were raised about the $16 billion fighter replacement program.  The government of Canada recently confirmed the purchase of 65 F-35 fighter jets to replace the aging CF-18 fleet, but questions were raised because there was no bidding process.  The opposition wanted there to be a bidding process to open the possibility for the Canadian taxpayer’s to receive a more competitive offer.  The government contests that because of this contract Lockheed, the producer of the F-35s, will award contracts for elements of the project will be awarded to Canadian firms.  This raises the question of whether spending more taxpayer money is worth it for contracts for Canadian firms.  Since this deal is still in its infancy the actual figure of how many jobs it will create in Canada is not known but like government stimulus spending money to create jobs can be a good thing.  The government has a responsibility to spend wisely but also to do what it can to keep Canadians employed, so as long as enough Canadians get jobs this project can be deemed a responsible decision.