One of our Green Party press releases got excellent coverage today: the news that a contract traditionally earned by Grohmann knives, a local business, to supply knives to the Canadian military has not been continued this year. Instead, the military is now being supplied with a slightly cheaper version of knife from a company that outsources from China. Nova Scotia papers jumped on the story, and many journalists I spoke to were obviously stunned. Despite the recent evidence to the contrary (the breech of the Atlantic Accord, the submarine contracts going to BC without tender and at greater cost than shipyards in Atlantic Canada, the closure of Trenton works, the cancellation of the bidding process for billions of dollars of shipyard work for new Navy and Coastguard vessels with the suggestion that these ships will be built over seas), many Nova Scotians still believe that a member of Cabinet can bring extra support to their riding. In the case of Peter Mackay, it is becoming increasingly difficult to understand how he could ignore the needs of his community.
The woman who co-owns Grohmann knives, Michelle Jamieson, has been a friend of mine since I started campaign in my riding last year. But I didn’t hear about the military contract until her grandfather, Mike Baninec Sr., ran into me in the waiting room of Anchor Motors Toyota dealership. He told me the story of the contract going to another company. I was shocked. I myself have trouble understanding how Peter Mackay could have allowed this to happen. Grohmann Knives is one of the most successful enterprises in Pictou county. They have been an iconic part of the town of Pictou for over 50 years. Mr. Babinec told me that they had asked Mr. Mackay about the contract when General Hillier came to visit the riding. They asked Mr. Mackay what had happened this year, and he told them he would look into it. A few weeks later, Mr. Babinec told me this story. Peter Mackay still hadn’t gotten back to them.
The end of the Grohmann knives’ military contract is stunning for a number of reasons. Grohmann is an employer in a region where jobs have been steadily disappearing. One would assume that a main criterion for government contracts would be to prioritize Canadian companies when the differential in price is not significant. More importantly, Grohmann knives are high quality and well crafted. I toured the factory a couple days ago and saw for myself that the knives all receive care and attention. They are crafted for strength, durability and elegance. The knife they supplied to the military has a triangular wooden handle and a jagged edge for grip. It was built to stay rust-free. I would be interested to know if the tendering process included testing the knives. The Grohmann factory has had phone calls from individuals wondering about the new knives and worrying about their safety.
It makes me wonder what the quality assurance measures are for the supplies going to our men and women in service. The decision to end a longtime supplier’s contract for a product that has been reliable for over 30 years in favour of a slightly cheaper bid makes no sense. It doesn’t make economic sense since Grohmann is a Canadian employer. It makes no sense militarily; Canadian troops deserve to have reliable tools.
I waited to issue a press release over this issue until I was given permission from the family. A family sent a letter to Peter Mackay to inquire about the contract, and wanted to wait for a reply before taking any public action. When I toured the factory this week, I asked Michelle whether I could write a release. She nodded. Yes, they had fairly given up on hearing back from their Member of Parliament, the National Defense Minister.