Yes, I agree with you entirely.
Over the years in my program at Queen's we have surveyed members of Parliament to find out what they know about defence policy, how they think about defence policy, what the relationship is with each other. We've said on many occasions that parliamentary committees are extremely important in this business and that they need a lot of research staff to get the point across, to provide them with the information to do things.
Members of Parliament ought to be involved in the details and going out and explaining things to citizens. They need a great deal of information to do that, and the more information that can come from the Canadian Forces, from the people in the field, from government and so on, the better off we'll all be.
I would encourage the committee and members of Parliament to become very well acquainted with this important national activity and then talk to people. Where there are legitimate criticisms, they should be brought forward.
One of the motives for this, I would hope, is to make sure the people in the field have the resources they need to do the job Canadians have asked them to do, and that kind of support for the mission should come from all parts of the political community.