Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for coming in today.
I want to focus on some questions on the defence procurement strategy that you mentioned in your remarks. It's a big industry in Canada. A lot of Canadians don't realize that once they get away from places like Halifax, Montreal, or Vancouver, but it's actually important in the greater Toronto area and also in my riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore.
There's a remark from a stakeholder, Tim Page, who is the president of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries. He mentioned, talking about the defence procurement strategy, that these measures, once in operational effect, will result in equipment that meets the operational requirements of the armed forces in a more timely manner, stronger economic returns for Canada, and enhanced Canadian sovereignty and national security.
I know that you're trying to balance two things in Public Works. Obviously, number one is to get the equipment that Canada and the men and women in uniform need, but you're also trying to manage the expectations of taxpayers. Can you talk about the defence procurement strategy and how this new strategy actually achieves that, and how this gives us better certainty when it comes to estimates and appropriations?