VAdm Norman - Supply Ship contract: Legal fight

[Kirkhill]

Inspired by Blackshirt - and based on information found above and on the public record

20 Feb 2014  Protecteur fire
11 Oct 2014  Michael den Tandt reports on sole-sourcing of Sea Sparrow replacement
2014 RCMP called in to investigate leaks
14 May 2015 Protecteur  decommissioned
June 2015 Sole source rules adjusted by Conservative cabinet 
June 2015 Conservatives issue a Letter of Intent to Davie for the procurement of Resolve
10 Aug 2015 Davie engages Hepburn to supply RAS engineering for Resolve
Sep 2015 Davie engages L3 MAPPs to supply Integrated Ship Systems
Oct 2015 Davie acquires MS Asterix for conversion
Oct 2015 Conservatives approve plan but withhold authorization until after the election

19 Oct 2015 Election
4 Nov 2015 Liberal government sworn in
Nov 2015 Irving petitions the government to have the Resolve project reviewed
18 Nov 2015 Mensereau of Hill and Knowlton allegedly offers to feed media story of Resolve project being delayed
19 Nov 2015 Ministers apparently decide on invoking a 60 day delay on the Resolve project
20 Nov 2015 Defence Minister Sajjan visiting Irving shipyard
20 Nov 2015 James Cudmore breaks the Resolve Pause story
21 Nov 2015 Admiral Norman apparently considers offering his resignation
23 Nov 2015 Shipbuilders Association comes out in support of Irving
25 Nov 2015 Seaspan writes to government to complain about Resolve project
30 Nov 2015 Last day for cancelling Resolve contract without an 89 MCAD penalty
30 Nov 2015 Liberal government approves Resolve contract
Dec 2015 RCMP called in to investigate leaks

12 Jan 2016 Defence Minister Sajjan hires reporter who broke the Resolve story as press secretary
19 Jan 2016 Admiral Norman on the promotions list for 2016
Summer 2016 Admiral Norman promoted and appointed VCDS
21 Oct 2016 Preserver decommissioned
24 Nov 2016      National Defence Officials Sign Lifetime Gag Order Over Fighter Jets

9 Jan 2017 Admiral Norman’s home raided by RCMP
13 Jan 2017 General Vance signs Admiral Norman’s orders relieving him of duties
16 Jan 2017 Admiral Norman officially relieved of duties
24 Jan 2017 Defence Minister Sajjan informs press the dismissal has nothing to do with National Security
22 Feb 2017 Liberal’s hire the reporter who broke the Sea Sparrow story
23 Feb 2017 Admiral Norman hires Marie Henein as his lawyer
15 Mar 2017 Murray Brewster publishes story on progress of RCMP leak investigation
27 Mar 2017 James Cudmore promoted to Dir of Policy at DND under Minister Sajjan
5 Apr 2017 Potentially exculpatory articles appear in the press – 15 months and no charges
5 Apr 2017 RCMP discovered to be investigating Admiral Norman for breach of trust
6 Apr 2017 PSPC Minister Judy Foote takes leave of absence for family reasons

And thus a timeline: a discrete sequence of events that may or may not be connected to each other.
And the truth is what you decide it is.

Edit: Modified on 7 April with highlighted event as suggested by ER Campbell below: (Thanks for that, Sir.)

 

[The Bread Guy]

Also, let's not forget:
1)  The documents "obtained" by the media from the court were redacted (so they - and we - don't know what else was there).
2)  I haven't seen evidence of the obtained documents being shared publicly for everyone to scrutinize.
3)  There's ALWAYS more to the story than we see/hear/read.
It'll be interesting to see what bits come out if charges are laid and if it goes to trial.

One of my questions (thanks, Chris, for the detailed chronology) ....

(...)
12 Jan 2016 Defence Minister Sajjan hires reporter who broke the Resolve story as press secretary
(...)
22 Feb 2017 Liberals* hire the reporter who broke the Sea Sparrow story
(...)

... is if there's a trial, would said (political) staff folks be expected to testify?  Could they be compelled to?  Again, still an if, but I'm curious nonetheless ...

* - PMO, to be exact.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Inspired by Blackshirt - and based on information found above and on the public record

20 Feb 2014  Protecteur fire
11 Oct 2014  Michael den Tandt reports on sole-sourcing of Sea Sparrow replacement
2014 RCMP called in to investigate leaks
14 May 2015 Protecteur  decommissioned
June 2015 Sole source rules adjusted by Conservative cabinet 
June 2015 Conservatives issue a Letter of Intent to Davie for the procurement of Resolve
10 Aug 2015 Davie engages Hepburn to supply RAS engineering for Resolve
Sep 2015 Davie engages L3 MAPPs to supply Integrated Ship Systems
Oct 2015 Davie acquires MS Asterix for conversion
Oct 2015 Conservatives approve plan but withhold authorization until after the election

19 Oct 2015 Election
4 Nov 2015 Liberal government sworn in
Nov 2015 Irving petitions the government to have the Resolve project reviewed
18 Nov 2015 Mensereau of Hill and Knowlton allegedly offers to feed media story of Resolve project being delayed
19 Nov 2015 Ministers apparently decide on invoking a 60 day delay on the Resolve project
20 Nov 2015 Defence Minister Sajjan visiting Irving shipyard
20 Nov 2015 James Cudmore breaks the Resolve Pause story
21 Nov 2015 Admiral Norman apparently considers offering his resignation
23 Nov 2015 Shipbuilders Association comes out in support of Irving
25 Nov 2015 Seaspan writes to government to complain about Resolve project
30 Nov 2015 Last day for cancelling Resolve contract without an 89 MCAD penalty
30 Nov 2015 Liberal government approves Resolve contract
Dec 2015 RCMP called in to investigate leaks

12 Jan 2016 Defence Minister Sajjan hires reporter who broke the Resolve story as press secretary
19 Jan 2016 Admiral Norman on the promotions list for 2016
Summer 2016 Admiral Norman promoted and appointed VCDS
21 Oct 2016 Preserver decommissioned

9 Jan 2017 Admiral Norman’s home raided by RCMP
13 Jan 2017 General Vance signs Admiral Norman’s orders relieving him of duties
16 Jan 2017 Admiral Norman officially relieved of duties
24 Jan 2017 Defence Minister Sajjan informs press the dismissal has nothing to do with National Security
22 Feb 2017 Liberal’s hire the reporter who broke the Sea Sparrow story
23 Feb 2017 Admiral Norman hires Marie Henein as his lawyer
15 Mar 2017 Murray Brewster publishes story on progress of RCMP leak investigation
27 Mar 2017 James Cudmore promoted to Dir of Policy at DND under Minister Sajjan
5 Apr 2017 Potentially exculpatory articles appear in the press – 15 months and no charges
5 Apr 2017 RCMP discovered to be investigating Admiral Norman for breach of trust
6 Apr 2017 PSPC Minister Judy Foote takes leave of absence for family reasons

And thus a timeline: a discrete sequence of events that may or may not be connected to each other.
And the truth is what you decide it is.

And you might add this story, in the highlighted area, about (apparently quite unprecedented) life-time non-disclosure agreements being put in place in the fall of 2016 as the Liberals decide that "transparency" and "accountability" were neat ideas for campaign slogans but a Liberal government must never be held to such foolish things.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

One of my questions (thanks, Chris, for the detailed chronology) ....... is if there's a trial, would said (political) staff folks be expected to testify?  Could they be compelled to?  Again, still an if, but I'm curious nonetheless ...

I was wondering the same thing. Why would the Liberals hire the flack, who a couple of months earlier had published classified documents that had been a major embarrassment to them?

 

[Navy_Pete]

To put it in context, the timelines for decommisioning where known back in 2012 or 2013(ish) once it was determined that there wouldn't be any further DWPs for the tankers.

Took a while to figure out the actual dates, but the writing was on the wall as that's when you check the hull and tanks to keep the certificate for the hull valid, and that's good for four years after the last inspection (ie last DWP).

Tankers aren't much good if you can't put fuel in the tanks, and Canadians wouldn't be too happy if the standards weren't followed and a fuel spill resulted (nor should they).

Anyway, the tanker decommisioning dates were a concurrent preplanned factor that just happened to coincide with other stuff, and the whole situation was made worse by the PRO fire.

 

[Kirkhill]

And you might add this story, in the highlighted area, about (apparently quite unprecedented) life-time non-disclosure agreements being put in place in the fall of 2016 as the Liberals decide that "transparency" and "accountability" were neat ideas for campaign slogans but a Liberal government must never be held to such foolish things.

Consider it done.  And thanks again. 

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

Hat tip to Chris Pook for pulling together that chronology....   

 

[Good2Golf]

[pedant]

Re: Summer 2016.  VAdm Norman wasn't promoted, but appointed as VCDS.  He was already a VAdm as Comd RCN.

[/pedant]

Regards
G2G

 

[The Bread Guy]

Hat tip to Chris Pook for pulling together that chronology....   

:nod:

And you might add this story, in the highlighted area, about (apparently quite unprecedented) life-time non-disclosure agreements being put in place in the fall of 2016 as the Liberals decide that "transparency" and "accountability" were neat ideas for campaign slogans but a Liberal government must never be held to such foolish things.

Very good catch - the article suggests the STFU Order only applies to procurement folks, but let's see how far that ink blot bleeds as time goes on ...

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I wonder if it would be possible to ATI the list of 200 people the non-disclosure order applied to? Then do some relationship mapping once you have the names.

That might paint an interesting picture...

 

[PuckChaser]

I wonder if it would be possible to ATI the list of 200 people the non-disclosure order applied to? Then do some relationship mapping once you have the names.

That might paint an interesting picture...

Unless that list is "cabinet confidence", you likely could get it.

 

[Eaglelord17]

There's something rotten in the state of military procurement in Ottawa, but we've known that for decades.....actually Sam Hughes and his cronies saddled soldiers with the Ross rifle among other things. And the Loud Squeaky Vehicle Wheeled is another example.

The Ross was not a failure in Procurement, it was the only option at the time (Britain refused to allow us to buy or manufacture more Lee Enfields, Ross came along and offered us the ability to produce and use his rifles). The Ross failed in the trenches not due to a poor design, rather due to poor quality British ammo which should have been condemned being sent to the front instead of making the manufacturer tighten standards. What happened to those Canadians wasn't the fault of Canada, rather the fault of Britain (imagine being given 5.56 for the C7 which was made substandard and wouldn't chamber, you now understand where the Ross went wrong). There was some small flaws with the rifle (all of which were corrected, one of the 'flaws' was making the chamber larger so it could fit out of spec ammo), however faith had been lost in the rifle by that point.

 

[Kirkhill]

Interesting stuff on the Ross Eaglelord.

With respect to the chronology, there is one other event that I came across yesterday that might be worthy of inclusion.

On 4 Dec 2015 an article was released to the public about the OFSV design.  Some of us saw and commented on the article.  It described how the OFSV design received from the government was unseaworthy and had to be rectified by the yard - in large part by growing the ship's waterline by some 24% across the three planned hulls which, together with the stale date on the original project budget - resulting in a significant increase in the budget.  The curious part now, looking back at it, was that the problem, and the fix were handled back in 2012.  Now, three year's later this Conservative/Coast Guard problem came to light with a new government struggling to grip the NSPS.

The author of the report was the same chap appointed as Sajjan's press secretary the next month.
And the issue pertained to the Coast Guard side of the NSPS programme and not the RCN side.

Again, a discrete event in the sequence that may or may not be connected.

 

[Kirkhill]

20 Feb 2014    Protecteur fire
Oct 2014 Irving submitted a proposal for an AOR to the Government http://www.irvingshipbuilding.com/BlogPage.aspx?id=613&blogid=315
11 Oct 2014      Michael den Tandt reports on sole-sourcing of Sea Sparrow replacement
2014      RCMP called in to investigate leaks
14 May 2015  Protecteur  decommissioned
June 2015    Sole source rules adjusted by Conservative cabinet 
June 2015  Conservatives issue a Letter of Intent to Davie for the procurement of Resolve
10 Aug 2015    Davie engages Hepburn to supply RAS engineering for Resolve
Sep 2015  Davie engages L3 MAPPs to supply Integrated Ship Systems
Oct 2015  Davie acquires MS Asterix for conversion
Oct 2015    Conservatives approve plan but withhold authorization until after the election

19 Oct 2015  Election
4 Nov 2015  Liberal government sworn in
Nov 2015    Irving petitions the government to have the Resolve project reviewed
18 Nov 2015  Mensereau of Hill and Knowlton allegedly offers to feed media story of Resolve project being delayed
19 Nov 2015  Ministers apparently decide on invoking a 60 day delay on the Resolve project
20 Nov 2015    Defence Minister Sajjan visiting Irving shipyard
20 Nov 2015  James Cudmore breaks the Resolve Pause story
21 Nov 2015  Admiral Norman apparently considers offering his resignation
23 Nov 2015  Shipbuilders Association comes out in support of Irving
25 Nov 2015  Seaspan writes to government to complain about Resolve project
30 Nov 2015  Last day for cancelling Resolve contract without an 89 MCAD penalty
30 Nov 2015    Liberal government approves Resolve contract
04 Dec 2015  2012 OFSV design problem story released by Mr. Cudmore.
Dec 2015  RCMP called in to investigate leaks

12 Jan 2016  Defence Minister Sajjan hires reporter who broke the Resolve story as press secretary
19 Jan 2016  Admiral Norman on the promotions list for 2016
Summer 2016  Admiral Norman promoted and appointed VCDS (Edit per G2G)
21 Oct 2016  Preserver decommissioned
24 Nov 2016      National Defence Officials Sign Lifetime Gag Order Over Fighter Jets

9 Jan 2017  Admiral Norman’s home raided by RCMP
13 Jan 2017    General Vance signs Admiral Norman’s orders relieving him of duties
16 Jan 2017  Admiral Norman officially relieved of duties
24 Jan 2017  Defence Minister Sajjan informs press the dismissal has nothing to do with National Security
22 Feb 2017  Liberal’s hire the reporter who broke the Sea Sparrow story
23 Feb 2017  Admiral Norman hires Marie Henein as his lawyer
15 Mar 2017  Murray Brewster publishes story on progress of RCMP leak investigation
27 Mar 2017  James Cudmore promoted to Dir of Policy at DND under Minister Sajjan
5 Apr 2017  Potentially exculpatory articles appear in the press – 15 months and no charges
5 Apr 2017    RCMP discovered to be investigating Admiral Norman for breach of trust
6 Apr 2017  PSPC Minister Judy Foote takes leave of absence for family reasons

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Great work, Chris. Many thanks.

I may actually take that one and expand it to include all the "steps" in the non-existing/then existing fighter gap and competition without-then-with the F-35 but after next election situation (including the Com RCAF, we don't have a gap, oh yes, now I remember the policy created a gap) and also the "we're selecting an African country to go in" morphing into "It's complicated".

I think it would paint an interesting picture of politicking with the military for the sole purpose of not looking like incompetents - even if that is failing IMHO.

 

[STONEY]

What everyone seems to have forgotten in this is the gov asked shipyards for ideas for a interim AOR and when they replied .The Davie was picked But no one here has ever looked at or critiqued or looked at the other proposals. The  Irving proposal was half the cost and was for a sale not a lease. No one seems to have seen many details of these proposals to be able to judge.  I can see why Irving and Seaspan  would be a little irritated that their proposals were not given a fair hearing. Could Quebec politics have played a part. 

 

[Good2Golf]

STONEY, cost is but one of three principal factors. 

A project evaluation weighting and rating often/usually seen in defence projects is 65/25/10, i.e. 65% weighting to technical specifications, 25% to costing and 10% to industrial and technical benefits and the value proposition of a particular project. 

Canada, if folks haven't come to realize it, does not operate on a 0/100/0 weighting system.

That Irving "says" they were cheaper (we haven't ever seen their proposal, unless I'm mistaken) doesn't mean that the government didn't give their proposal due regard.

:2c:

Regards
G2G

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Do you have a reference of that Stoney?

Because the actual info out there indicates that the Resolve class thingy is the idea of Davie, never asked for by the government but proposed by Davie to the government uninvited. Then, when discovered by Irving, it put something together to propose to the government which would have taken more time because it was not as advanced, and because it was a sale - would have left the Navy with an actual AOR rather than interim, something Seaspan took as an attempt by Irving to deprive it of its work under the Strategy. Seaspan made no proposal, but indicated it would like an open competition so it could put a proposal together.

Moreover, why would Adm. Norman, who is not from Quebec, be involved in Quebec politics?

 

[YZT580]

and if Seaspan and Irving were bidding on an interim AOR it would still be in the discussion phase instead of being outfitted now.  Plus the new construction would be occupying time and space deferring the already contracted hulls. 

 

[Good2Golf]

Plus the new construction would be occupying time and space deferring the already contracted hulls.

YZT, I figured it wouldn't hurt to make these words of yours a little bigger, just for fear some folks missed it earlier. 

A shipyard with one graving dock IIRC and manpower issues having a problem with one that has what, seven and no apparent personnel challenges?  ???

G2G