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With apologies for any kittens killed in the posting of this latest story.....
Defence Minister Peter MacKay is denying the Department of National Defence tried to hide details of its military spending by quietly awarding a $105-million contract to a German company to build armoured vehicles.
Speaking exclusively to CTV's Question Period, MacKay said information about the project was readily available online.
"That information was on a DND and Public Works website for three years," MacKay said in an interview that will air Sunday. "It was released accurately in detail at the time … and suggestions otherwise are simply false."
However, critics say that DND's website did not include an announcement that the contract was awarded to the German firm FFG. A notice about the deal was posted in April on an industry website where companies can bid on government work.
"The fact they didn't issue a press release suggests they didn't want people to know about it. So it gives a perception they were nervous about this, and they were trying to cover it up," said Steven Staples, president of the Rideau Institute, an Ottawa-based think tank that has scrutinized DND's spending figures ....