Trudeau's defective plane the latest example of Canadian decline

[BeaverFever]

Trudeau's defective plane the latest example of Canadian decline
 

Our anxious effort to avoid the appearance of corruption has led to leaders being pathetically cheap where it counts

Published Sep 12, 2023  •  Last updated 23 hours ago  •  4 minute read

 

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

It should be easy for a G7 country to provide its leader with functional structures of office — that is, physical structures — suited to the esteem of a government head.

Official residences of leaders should be understated, but in an old-money kind of way. Clothing should be well-made. Transport fleets should be functional and, yes, classy. Democratic leaders shouldn’t seem to come from 17th century-Versailles, but they should be able to show (and not just tell) that their nations are prosperous and successful. But Canada and, to an extent, the Anglo world, are failing to keep to these basic standards, which, paradoxically, benefits the lazy elite.

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The latest failure stemming from our domestic culture of apathy is that of the prime ministerial plane. The nearly 30-year-old CC-150 Polaris acting as Can Force One needed a new part and was therefore stranded in India. A backup plane had been sent to retrieve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but the original aircraft was eventually fixed. (Newer planes are in the replacement queue.)

It’s an embarrassment, despite efforts by communications staff to play this off as a good thing, actually: “The discovery of this issue is evidence that these protocols are effective,” a Department of National Defence spokesman told the Post.

Similar mishaps have happened before. In 2019, Trudeau had to use a backup jet to attend a NATO summit in London (the regular plane was grounded after it crushed its nose by rolling into a wall). On return, a second backup plane had to be sent to retrieve the prime minister because the first backup ran into engine trouble.

The outdated planes, at least one of which was bought on a surplus sale after a corporate airline merger in the 1990s, are long overdue for replacement. A similar dire state can be seen at the prime ministerial residence, 24 Sussex. Once a dignified home with a warm, historic quality, the building is now too vermin-infested to be considered habitable. Now, a complete teardown is being suggested and Ottawa is considering building an entirely new house elsewhere.

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While hundreds of millions can be spent on private consulting firms to outsource the work of governing, the pennies are pinched when it comes to the very things that give character to the state. Canada can’t host beautiful receptions at its official residence because the building is close to being condemned, neither can we send our leaders places in reasonably up-to-date planes.

Canada isn’t alone in its dilapidation. The United Kingdom’s House of Commons and House of Lords are reportedly loaded with rodents. The U.K. prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street is slightly more well-off, being permitted to employ cats for mousing. Still, the fact that a mouser is needed in 2023 for a great power is absurd.

While 10 Downing isn’t completely unlivable like its Canadian counterpart, it’s on the way there. The 300-year-old building is in a notoriously poor state, with its former researcher-in-residence being told at least two decades ago that the building needs to be completely gutted to last another century. It has not been gutted.

The U.K.’s Anglo cousin, Ireland, has one government jet of nearly 20 years in age. It’s coming to the end of its service life and no replacement has been purchased yet; the government plans to rely on two rental jets in the interim.

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In the south, Jacinda Ardern, then-prime minister of New Zealand, became stuck in Australia after her plane encountered a technical problem; a similar stranding happened to her predecessor, John Key, in 2016. Current New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ solution to the unreliable fleet has been to travel with a backup in the region. The country’s prime ministerial planes are around 30 years old. (Ardern was also stranded in Antarctica when a military plane stopped working; she instead had to be taken home by an Italian flight.)

Germany has had similar problems with its two governmental Airbus-340s, which are more than 20 years old. Their tenure finally ended when a plane mishap forced a foreign policy trip to be cancelled this August. Germany decided to retire the aged planes “as soon as possible.” Newer Airbus-350s will be used.

At least Germany seems to understand that spending on the dignity of public offices is a democratic necessity.

The great benefit of our system is that it allows regular people to enter the governing class and does not limit leadership to elites of intergenerational wealth. The downside, to the taxpayer, is that those of more humble backgrounds simply don’t have the personal wealth to spend what’s required to be taken seriously in international circles.

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We crowdsource the necessary luxuries of office because it’s ultimately more fair than it is to make leaders rely on their own personal funds. Otherwise, public office is restricted to only those who can afford the finer things that it requires.

Our own democratic leaders closer to home don’t want to risk electoral success by being the person to spend millions of dollars on what are, to most voters, unattainable luxuries. It’s fair to want to avoid such things. But in the Anglo West, our anxious effort to avoid the appearance of corruption has led to leaders being incredibly, pathetically cheap where it actually counts. Canada isn’t alone in this, but that is a choice.

National Post
 

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/jamie-sarkonak-trudeaus-defective-plane-the-latest-example-of-canadian-decline#:~:text=In 2019%2C Trudeau had to,backup ran into engine trouble.

 

 

[Aristides]

As I already posted, the two Air Force one 747's are only two years newer.  The Polaris are the same age as our newest CF-18's. One problem is there are few A310's still in airline use so getting a part from a local carrier is not likely. The engines this aircraft uses are still in production and being installed on new B767 freighters and military versions of the 767 like the KC767. Newer versions of this engine power the A330's that will be replacing the Polaris.

You can run a brand new aircraft into a building.

 

[RedDog]

Canada has become an embarrassment. Just save Alberta.

[BeaverFever]

37 minutes ago, Aristides said:

As I already posted, the two Air Force one 747's are only two years newer.  The Polaris are the same age as our newest CF-18's. One problem is there are few A310's still in airline use so getting a part from a local carrier is not likely. The engines this aircraft uses are still in production and being installed on new B767 freighters and military versions of the 767 like the KC767. Newer versions of this engine power the A330's that will be replacing the Polaris.

You can run a brand new aircraft into a building.

 

Well our newest cf-18s are still pretty old, have been upgraded many times including this year and are still near the end of their useful life.  Its also a bit of an embarrassment that we’ve been operating them this long and will probably continue to do so for most of the next decade. 
 

As you say the worldwide lack of A310s still in service is a major problem unlike 747s which are still in widespread use as cargo carriers. Also you should know that the contract to replace Air Force One’s current 747s with the brand new 747-8I was issued in Feb 2018 with delivery of the new aircraft expected next year.

Also the existing AirForce One aircraft wee purpose-built for carrying the POTUS and have be upgraded continuously throughout their lifetime. They have a full suite of modern defensive countermeasures against threats such as missiles etc. The Canadian Polaris fleet by contrast was purchased second-hand from a defunct airline and has no defensive countermeasures whatsoever. Another problem with the Polaris is that the planes predate the commercial internet, laptop computers and personal electronics so reportedly there is little to no onboard connectivity, extension cords and cables are haphazardly strung up all over the place and the plane’s electrical system would need major upgrades to provide a proper functional work environment. The interior is also dated and ugly as sin  AFAIK the Polaris has never received a major upgrade since its purchase and apparently its interior was even DOWNGRADED on the the orders of Chretien in order to appear less luxurious  

 

 

Edited September 13, 2023 by BeaverFever

[CdnFox]

The reality is somewhat understandable, but the optics are just horrible.  And gov'ts run on optics.  How we look at home and how other perceive us is important. This is embarrassing.

[Dougie93]

PM Modi offers Canada a ride home on Air India One

India asks : " is Canadian infrastructure crumbling ? "

 

[WestCanMan]

41 minutes ago, Dougie93 said:

PM Modi offers Canada a ride home on Air India One

Anything to get rid of him. 

[TreeBeard]

Conservatives think this is the first time the PM’s plane broke down?  LOL

The things you people set your hair on fire over is hilarious. 
 

 

[CdnFox]

4 minutes ago, TreeBeard said:

Conservatives think this is the first time the PM’s plane broke down?  LOL

The things you people set your hair on fire over is hilarious. 
 

 

ROFLMAO -  oooops, someone's feeling bitter    

No, our hair isn't on  fire but if your claim is hat we consider this anything other than a hilarious bit of satire then your pants might be. 

Hey - if it makes you feel ANY better... this is FAR from the only time the world is pointing and laughing at our PM

[Dougie93]

30 minutes ago, WestCanMan said:

Anything to get rid of him. 

he's not a cause

he's a result

what he is, that's not going away, it's the majority of the Canadian population now

Edited September 13, 2023 by Dougie93

[Nefarious Banana]

5 minutes ago, TreeBeard said:

Conservatives think this is the first time the PM’s plane broke down? 

The things you people set your hair on fire over is hilarious. 

It's the overall picture:  The doofus makes a fool of himself, his family, Canadian citizens, and Canada itself on his first visit.  Dressing up like clowns, bringing a terrorist with him, Indian PM too busy to meet with him, and nothing whatsoever to show for it.  Lucky us, we got to pay for his foray into foolishness . . . 

Now the doofus is stuck in enemy territory, while the world hides its guffaws . . . at Canada. 

TreeBeard, you're the one that's hilarious . . . being a supporter of the doofus, everything he does is alright with you.

[WestCanMan]

22 minutes ago, Dougie93 said:

he's not a cause

he's a result

what he is, that's not going away, it's the majority of the Canadian population now

I dunno about that. It seems like the pendulum might be swinging back the other way now. I think that a lot of people are recognizing liberalism for the out-of-control shitshow that it is now - it just got too farcical.

[Dougie93]

6 minutes ago, WestCanMan said:

I dunno about that. It seems like the pendulum might be swinging back the other way now. I think that a lot of people are recognizing liberalism for the out-of-control shitshow that it is now - it just got too farcical.

it's still not going away

the majority of Canadians are still either leftists or useful idi*ts for the left

thus I think you will at best encounter a stalemate rather than a decisive shift to the right

[TreeBeard]

27 minutes ago, Nefarious Banana said:

It's the overall picture:  The doofus makes a fool of himself, his family, Canadian citizens, and Canada itself on his first visit.  Dressing up like clowns, bringing a terrorist with him, Indian PM too busy to meet with him, and nothing whatsoever to show for it.  Lucky us, we got to pay for his foray into foolishness . . . 

Now the doofus is stuck in enemy territory, while the world hides its guffaws . . . at Canada. 

TreeBeard, you're the one that's hilarious . . . being a supporter of the doofus, everything he does is alright with you.

You think he failed to fix his own plane?  I’m pretty sure it’s looked after by others.  And I’m certain it has broken down before.   
 

India is not “enemy territory”. That’s a silly statement.  
 

Never voted for him (not in his riding), nor have I ever voted Liberal.  So, nice try.  

[WestCanMan]

27 minutes ago, TreeBeard said:

Never voted for him (not in his riding), nor have I ever voted Liberal.  So, nice try.  

I still don't see any evidence that you harbour the requisite amount of hatred for him. Try harder. 

[BeaverFever]

1 hour ago, TreeBeard said:

Conservatives think this is the first time the PM’s plane broke down?  LOL

The things you people set your hair on fire over is hilarious. 
 

 

I’m not Conservative by any stretch but I think the state of 24 Sussex and the military and the old planes is an embarrassment 

[BeaverFever]

1 hour ago, Dougie93 said:

 

LOL that video is such hilarious dishonest piece of yellow journalism. At first I thought it was parody but then I realized nope its the usual propaganda for the usual consumers of such tripe. 

Edited September 14, 2023 by BeaverFever

[TreeBeard]

35 minutes ago, BeaverFever said:

I’m not Conservative by any stretch but I think the state of 24 Sussex and the military and the old planes is an embarrassment 

Meh…. Doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme.  

[Aristides]

More important than an aircraft's chronological age is the number of flying hours and cycles on the airframe.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Aristides

[Perspektiv]

9 hours ago, TreeBeard said:

And I’m certain it has broken down before.   

Its not the fact that it broke down.

You need to learn to read between lines.

Aircraft break down and need routine preventative maintenance and servicing as a result for a reason, as do anything that is mechanical with moving parts.

Its the fact he went to what was supposed to be a friendly ally. Is a friendly ally, but got an incredibly cold reception. He clearly did not belong there.

From no other fault than his own, made a joke of his country, through his confusion of the optics he was attending this meeting under.

IE the not so silent support for secessionist and separatist Indian voices protesting within Canada, based on their right to do so.

Same prime Minister who crushed the exact same type of movement within its own borders, calling the freedom convoy terrorists and Nazis. The hypocrisy behind condescendingly telling Indian leadership he believes in such freedoms.

The Khalistan movement, whether right or wrong, have openly called for the assassination of the Indian prime Minister. 

You need to understand optics.

Trudeau essentially cheated on his ally, and had the nerve to show up and wanting to cozy up with them like nothing happened.

This is considering his history of blunders with this ally.

To then have the nerve to approach this ally accusing them of election interference (whether true or false).

Its the humiliating nature of his lack of an ability to read the room, in mentioning that his contribution to this meeting, is the "gender language" he brought to the table, that just about none of the nations present could care less about with far more pressing issues at hand.

Its the timing of it all. You could just see the frosty response he was getting, he couldn't wait to get out of dodge.

Of all moments an aircraft could break down, his did so with the world's eyes watching this person humiliate both themselves and the country they represent.

It chose to break down, then.

In an almost fitting fashion, just like the crises he's worsened due to poor policy. 

His aircraft broke down, after he humiliated himself to wanting a quick and quiet exit, and was forced to put a loud and global speaker to that very intention, with a painstakingly public and slow one.

To make it more obvious, you essentially are looking at the political equivalent of your car breaking down in the passing lane, right after a curve in the highway.

You still seeing it as "dude, cars break down all the time" vs the situation at hand, would essentially mean you can't see past the mechanical failure and would be best never becoming a paramedic or politician.

[ExFlyer]

12 hours ago, WestCanMan said:

I still don't see any evidence that you harbour the requisite amount of hatred for him. Try harder. 

Now that is one of the dumbest things I have read in a long time LOL

"requisite amount of hatred for him."???   There is some sort of score card??? A hate meter??? A hatred scale???

Now that is as low as political bigotry can get, having "a requisite amount of hatred for him"..

 

[BeaverFever]

12 hours ago, TreeBeard said:

Meh…. Doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme.  

Nothing matters if your scheme is grand enough. That’s the problem. 

[CdnFox]

14 hours ago, TreeBeard said:

Meh…. Doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme.  

It does to a lot of people. And for many it's symbolic. And if you think symbolism isn't important to a nation you're going to have a pretty tough time defending it.

 

[Army Guy]

On 9/13/2023 at 11:00 PM, Aristides said:

More important than an aircraft's chronological age is the number of flying hours and cycles on the airframe.

I'd say they got a few hours on them, they've been to Europe/ Afghanistan atleast once a week, and more than that on a tour hand over....my last tour in 2013 the airbus was a resupply aircraft for everything, once a week...every week 

[August1991]

To me, this is evidence that the PM's time doesn't matter. 

Everyone says the PM is an important guy. He has a scheduler. Where he is and what he does matters. 

Our Canadian prime minister was stuck in India. And nothing changed in anyone's life.

Think.