Thank you, Minister, Mr. Chair, and members.
Albeit a new arrival in this particular portfolio, I can say categorically that in every indication I've been able to ascertain, the briefings I received, and my own experience with the Canadian military--and this is in the long term, not just currently--we certainly are fully committed to getting the best equipment for the Canadian Forces. We do that and will continue to do that at the best price for Canadians and of course also with the best benefit to Canadian companies, creating jobs and maintaining the economy.
That's an overarching philosophy. More than that, it's a policy, if you will. Really, if we are asking our men and women to undertake dangerous assignments, and they do so as a commitment to their oath of service and the greater good, I think we owe it to them to do the best we can to provide them with the equipment they need, not only to be effective in the mission they're being asked to accomplish, but also to do that as safely as can be done.
As the minister indicated, we are scanning constantly to ensure that we benchmark a procurement on the basis of the principles I've just highlighted. Of course there's always debate about these issues, but I'm very confident that the integrity of the process is beyond reproach.
We will continue to do that. We'll continue working hard to ensure that our men and women have the best equipment to enable them to do their jobs safely, to ensure that Canadians are assured that their hard-earned tax dollars are spent appropriately, and to ensure that at the same time we provide jobs for Canadians as we go forward.