ON TIME, UNDER BUDGET; NO HOPE FOR OBELIX

  Davie Shipyards delivered its first ship, Asterix, to the government on time and on budget in a deal worth $659 million. It is now offering a second ship at $500 million to entice the Liberals to move ahead with such a purchase. The Asterix sister ship — Obelix — can be ready for missions with the navy within 24 months.
  But industry representatives privately say Davie faces an uphill battle as Asterix is at the heart of the trial of Vice Admiral Mark Norman and any government move to buy a sister ship would signal the actions of that naval officer in supporting the original deal was right.
  When Conservative leader Andrew Scheer questioned the Liberal government Dec. 12 in the Commons why it was not moving ahead with acquiring Obelix, pointing out the navy needed a second ship PM Trudeau accused Scheer of playing “petty politics,” claiming an armed forces assessment showed “They don’t need the Obelix.”