You also wrote:
...throughout 2013, there was a sense that there was very little space for debate on defence issues with and by the government. On procurement, the only concern was to get out of the F-35 procurement embarrassment, not to engage in a full, open and inclusive review, nor, more broadly, of Canada’s posture in a post-Afghanistan world. Afghanistan itself is barely mentioned in the Speech from the Throne, as opposed to being a lightning rod for the defence review.
What brought you to that conclusion?