“National security exemptions should be used in really exceptional cases where there really is a national security risk to Canada,” he said. This was despite Defence Department auditors flagging a lack of transparency and raising questions about value for money in the original contract. “There are only so many big players out there,” said Alan Williams, former head of procurement at National Defence. The government has cited national security to justify why other companies were not allowed to compete. One former Defence Department official says it’s no surprise Lockheed and the government have continued to do business while wrangling over the F-35.

Source: National Post June 14, 2016 23:30 UTC