Madam Chair, the Prime Minister announced about a month and a half ago, I think, a fundamental departure from a defence policy foundation that we defend Canada, we contribute to international commitments, and so on--and that will obviously be articulated as part of that--but, more fundamentally, a long-term commitment to the finance, to the funding, with an accrual budgeting component that's extremely important, a commitment to 1.5% real growth, and from 2011-12 another 0.5%, which is compounded. Obviously, if you do the math, this will arrive about a decade from now at about $30 billion in a defence program.
As part of that planning, we clearly needed to look at the major platforms: the frigates, the fighters, the armoured vehicles, search and rescue aircraft, etc., all those major platforms in the Canadian Forces. There has been some preliminary planning about what those indicative costs of those major platforms would be, and that is beginning to be finalized in a long-term investment plan.
To answer the member's question, that is enormously helpful to me, because I can look at a 45-year accrual plan. We have to manage the accrual space. It's like a set of mortgages when you pay your mortgage payments. You get $1 billion to buy aircraft and you pay back that commitment from the Department of Finance in 30 payments over the life of those aircraft.
Now I can look at a 45-year plan where that accrual space is and all those lines and major platforms; put a project management team in at the right time; take a program request to the minister, cabinet, or Treasury Board at the right time to get definition authority; do a procurement contracting process working with Public Works and Government Services; and go for final approval and contract approval at the right time to replace that aircraft at the right time. That has never been possible in National Defence. I've been in this business for 30 years. I came to National Defence for the first time as a major in 1985. In my experience, this is the first time we've really been able to have that foundation of predictability for the financing of these investments.
In terms of how, I think I've covered that. I would just comment, if I could, on accrual budgeting, where—