I hope I correctly understand the nature of your question.
The Auditor General acknowledged in his report that a budget is a useful mechanism for establishing thresholds. A budget promotes a certain discipline, a rigour in determining what needs are necessary in order to build the ships planned and how they will be constructed. We are now entering the design phase for certain ships. We consulted our American, British and other colleagues who have experience in building ships of this size. They all told us we had to ensure that all essential components were designed first so that we could get a clearer idea of construction costs and methods. That is why we are doing it. That is in a way what the Auditor General told us.
There is also the issue of inflation. It should not be forgotten that the price of materials fluctuates. I worked at Fisheries and Oceans, and I remember that the price of steel was astronomical at one point and then fell two years later and subsequently fluctuated. It is important for us that the design be as complete as possible so the shipyards can give us an accurate idea of the cost to build those ships.