The plan to construct the warships has navigated its way through federal governments since the 1990s, but won’t start until 2023. It has been delayed time and again; project requirements have changed; and most significantly, the price estimate has soared; the original $14-billion estimate for these ships is now around $70 billion, according to experts.
Next came allegations of bid-rigging (strenuously denied by the government) from some potential contractors, after the procurement rules were changed. In one legal filing, a company noted the parameters of the CSC project has been altered 88 times during the process.
Third, while politicians and bureaucrats have argued there will be thousands of high-paying jobs and other industrial benefits, insiders are more dubious. There are no consequences to contractors who don’t meet job targets.
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