Mr. Brad Redekopp,
MP Member of Parliament for
Saskatoon West House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Dear Mr. Redekopp,
I am writing to express my concern over Canada’s planned purchase of 16 F-35 fighter jets, with the possibility of expanding that order to 88. Given recent developments, I urge you and your colleagues to take decisive action and cancel this procurement, much like how President Donald Trump scrapped the CUSMA agreement earlier this year when it no longer served American interests. Canada must make decisions based on our own national priorities, not the expectations of foreign defence contractors.
Instead of moving forward with the Lockheed Martin F-35 program, we should be reopening negotiations with Saab for their Gripen jets. Unlike Boeing—who is only now offering to create jobs in Canada out of fear of losing contracts—Saab’s Gripen program has long been a strong candidate for domestic job creation and economic benefits. A renewed agreement with Saab would ensure that the manufacturing, maintenance, and technological development surrounding these aircraft take place within Canada, securing high-quality jobs for Canadian workers and bolstering our defence industry.
Furthermore, there is growing concern that Boeing may integrate kill switches or software-based restrictions into their systems, similar to what companies like John Deer, Apple, and Xerox have done with their hardware. This is an unacceptable risk to our national security, as it could allow a foreign entity to disable or restrict our military capabilities at a critical moment. Canada must have full sovereignty over its defence systems, and any procurement decisions should reflect this principle.
As my Member of Parliament, I urge you to push for the cancellation of the F-35 order and advocate for a defence procurement strategy that prioritizes Canadian jobs, sovereignty, and security. I appreciate your time and consideration on this critical matter and look forward to your response.