Thunder Bay Post, Canada
April 23 2004
Concern Over Bombardier Contract
Tb News Source
There are some worries that a vote in the House of Commons
yesterday could impact on negotiations for a major contract for
Bombardier and the company’s plant here in Thunder Bay.
Bombardier is in the running for a huge order for rail cars for
Ankara, Turkey but yesterday, Members of Parliament voted to formally
recognize the genocide of Armenian Turks during the First World War.
The motion is sure to anger the Turkish government which has never
acknowledged the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians. Turkey had warned
Ottawa there could be economic consequences if the vote passed.
Liberal backbenchers voted massively in favour of the motion, but
Cabinet ministers opposed it. Bombardier spokesperson Helen Gagnon
says, while they’ve not heard directly from the Turkish government,
the company has expressed its concerns over the issue to our own
federal officials.
Gagnon says Bombardier remains hopeful it’s strong track record
supplying light rail systems to the country will work in its favour
with future contracts there.