Thank you, Madame Brunelle.
The concern about the minister appearing is that, first of all, by the time he appears, it might be too late to be able to have any impact on this sale. Second, we've already been told that he can come here, but he's not going to be able to answer any questions, or many questions.
Whether we can or can't compel him, I don't know, but I believe our responsibility as the industry committee is to ask the questions about whether or not this sale is in the best interests of Canadians. If the sale is a done deal, or pretty much a done deal, by the time the minister gets here, and our questions can have no impact, then it will be like trying to close the barn door after the horse is long gone.
I believe we have a responsibility to at least understand what this sale means. What does it mean to Canada's role in the space mission, for example? The Canadarm was Canada's contribution. That bought us the brownie points in the space mission that got our astronauts in space. What will this mean for future Canadian participation in the space mission? What will this mean for Canadian compliance in international treaties?
I don't expect that the minister can answer all these questions, but goodness gracious, somebody can. I don't think we need months of hearings, but we do need to understand and be in touch.