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A plan to lease a supply ship for the Royal Canadian Navy, now the focus of the legal case against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, received the blessing of the office that supports the prime minister after it determined Canada would be getting value for money on the deal.

The Privy Council Office, Department of National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada all approved the lease of a supply ship from Quebec-based Davie Shipbuilding and presented their endorsement to Liberal cabinet ministers at a meeting on Nov. 19, 2015, according to a federal government briefing made public last week as part of the release of court documents pertaining to Norman’s case.

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The material, filed with the court by Norman’s lawyers in an effort to obtain other documents held by the government, reveal for the first time details of the battle within the government and bureaucracy over the Canadian navy’s quest to get a much-needed vessel to refuel its warships at sea.