MacKay, Natynczyk set to skip arms trade show
Donaldson, Paradis, Ambrose, Jenkins set to give CANSEC speeches; Fantino expected to attend.
By Carl Meyer
Published May 30, 2012
Article Link
Canada's defence minister and top soldier are both planning to skip this year's CANSEC arms trade show in Ottawa, their offices have confirmed.
For Mr. MacKay, who is jetting off to Singapore to attend a high-profile defence conference, it's a break from a four-year tradition, as he has attended every CANSEC since he was shuffled into the job in August 2007.
CANSEC is a yearly exhibition in Ottawa put on by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries. It showcases weapons, armoured vehicles, ships, fighter jets, and other military technology that the big names in the sector are peddling.
It also brings together business representatives, soldiers, and politicians, who stroll up and down the aisles speaking with company officials, checking out the merchandise, dining with colleagues, and listening to speeches.
Last year, Mr. MacKay and Associate Minister of National Defence Julian Fantino toured the show grounds while reporters and photographers followed.
At one point the two ministers got into a LAV III armoured vehicle as they checked out the dials and switches, and posed for a photo-op.
This year, there will likely be no LAV photo-ops for Mr. MacKay. He's scheduled to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore from June 1 to 3, and to speak on the final day, said spokesperson Jay Paxton.
To get there on time, he must leave the country on May 30, the same day this year's CANSEC begins, the spokesperson said.
The dialogue, put on by the British think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies, will feature United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin E. Dempsey, and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, according to media reports.
Also not attending this year's CANSEC is the country's top soldier, Chief of Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk.
This year, the general is "otherwise completely booked for the first day, and will be out of the country for the remainder of the conference timeframe, and a little beyond, attending to business," wrote Lieutenant-Commander Kris Phillips, his public affairs officer, in an email.
Postmedia News reported May 28 that "It is a matter of weeks, rather than months, before Natynczyk steps down," citing unnamed employees of his. But Lt.-Cmdr. Phillips said his absence was not an indication of any impending career decision, and that "he serves at the pleasure of the government."
Vice Admiral Bruce Donaldson, who is vice chief of defence staff; Industry Minister Christian Paradis; and Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose are all slated to give keynote speeches at this year's conference taking place May 30 to 31, according to CADSI president Tim Page.
More on link
Donaldson, Paradis, Ambrose, Jenkins set to give CANSEC speeches; Fantino expected to attend.
By Carl Meyer
Published May 30, 2012
Article Link
Canada's defence minister and top soldier are both planning to skip this year's CANSEC arms trade show in Ottawa, their offices have confirmed.
For Mr. MacKay, who is jetting off to Singapore to attend a high-profile defence conference, it's a break from a four-year tradition, as he has attended every CANSEC since he was shuffled into the job in August 2007.
CANSEC is a yearly exhibition in Ottawa put on by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries. It showcases weapons, armoured vehicles, ships, fighter jets, and other military technology that the big names in the sector are peddling.
It also brings together business representatives, soldiers, and politicians, who stroll up and down the aisles speaking with company officials, checking out the merchandise, dining with colleagues, and listening to speeches.
Last year, Mr. MacKay and Associate Minister of National Defence Julian Fantino toured the show grounds while reporters and photographers followed.
At one point the two ministers got into a LAV III armoured vehicle as they checked out the dials and switches, and posed for a photo-op.
This year, there will likely be no LAV photo-ops for Mr. MacKay. He's scheduled to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore from June 1 to 3, and to speak on the final day, said spokesperson Jay Paxton.
To get there on time, he must leave the country on May 30, the same day this year's CANSEC begins, the spokesperson said.
The dialogue, put on by the British think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies, will feature United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin E. Dempsey, and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, according to media reports.
Also not attending this year's CANSEC is the country's top soldier, Chief of Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk.
This year, the general is "otherwise completely booked for the first day, and will be out of the country for the remainder of the conference timeframe, and a little beyond, attending to business," wrote Lieutenant-Commander Kris Phillips, his public affairs officer, in an email.
Postmedia News reported May 28 that "It is a matter of weeks, rather than months, before Natynczyk steps down," citing unnamed employees of his. But Lt.-Cmdr. Phillips said his absence was not an indication of any impending career decision, and that "he serves at the pleasure of the government."
Vice Admiral Bruce Donaldson, who is vice chief of defence staff; Industry Minister Christian Paradis; and Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose are all slated to give keynote speeches at this year's conference taking place May 30 to 31, according to CADSI president Tim Page.
More on link
