Canadian taxpayers will fall about $3.5-billion short of breaking even on the money the federal and Ontario governments invested in the bailouts of Chrysler Group LLC and General Motors Co. in 2009.
Canadian taxpayers lose $3.5-billion on 2009 bailout of auto firms - The Globe and Mail
Canadian governments threw $13.7 billion at the two US owned auto companies in 2009, of which they have lost $3.5 billion of taxpayers money (so far) yet there was barely a whimper from Canadian taxpayers, the Canadian press or the governments themselves.
"It had to be done, because the Americans were doing it".
Now, an entrepreneurial Canadian company finds itself in a bind (partly its own fault, for sure) many Canadians get all uptight, even though most of the Intellectual Property resides in Canada and many of the highly skilled, high value jobs are Canadian. The Canadian aerospace industry (a large proportion of which is Bombardier related) is at least as important to Canada as the auto companies.
And, oh yes, GM will not confirm it will keep any auto assembly plants in Canada after 2017:
GM Canada's Steve Carlisle concerned about competitiveness in Canada - Business - CBC News
Yes, there is huge risk in creating a brand new, clean sheet commercial aircraft product, including the engine, and Pratt & Whitney historically receives more Canadian government support than Bombardier.
Wake up and smell the roses, Canada. Even a sixty cent Loonie will not make us competitive against world competition while all we agree to do is subsidise butter and cheese through centralised market management and control, at the expense of the Canadian consumer.
The C Series is a technical 'tour de force', for sure, but not for technology's sake. The technology addresses all the drivers Clunck talks about
: purchase price, Direct Operating Costs, maintenance cost, not to mention cabin comfort, payload range, airfield performance, low emissions, etc, etc, where it is miles ahead of its competitors.
In my opinion, it absolutely will sell very well. Cream always rises to the top eventually!