Mélanie Joly said she spoke with Saab in Sweden this week about the industrial benefits the defence company could offer Canada, as Ottawa rethinks its $19-billion F-35 purchase from Lockheed Martin. Saab was the runner up to the U.S. company for the contract to replace Ottawa’s aging fighter jets. (The Logic)
Talking point: The review is part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s push to bring more defence-related manufacturing jobs to Canada. Joly said to expect a new industrial policy to that effect within months. She’s already given the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) a new mandate to support companies that want to invest in defence. She expects to issue similar marching orders to the National Research Council, to fund studies with both military and civil implications, and to the Canadian Space Agency. Joly said she plans to visit Lockheed Martin’s facilities in the next few weeks.