Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome to our guests.
Mr. Chair, you opened the meeting by reading aloud the Bloc Québécois motion adopted on May 16, which dealt precisely with duration, equipment, etc. You did not mention, however, the motion tabled by the Bloc Québécois on October 4. In it we requested briefings every two weeks.
Indeed we expected a senior official from the Department of National Defence to come every other week and tell us where the troops had got to, what the plans were, what took place the week before and what would probably happen the next week. This is not what the department has told us, though.
I wish to recall the arguments underlying the committee’s statement concerning the briefing motion. Here they are: Canadians do not have information from their government at the time we are speaking; Quebeckers do not have information from the federal government about what is happening in Afghanistan; members of Parliament do not have any information about what is currently happening in Afghanistan; and worse yet, the members of the Standing Committee on National Defence do not have any information about what is currently happening.
We are told that Lieutenant-General Gauthier will come and see us and that Brigadier-General Benjamin has already been, but they each have their own jurisdicitions and do not go beyond them. So we do not get a real briefing when General Benjamin comes as we just talk about the arrangements made so that the troops will not be short of munitions, food, and this and that.
General Gauthier, in turn, will tell us about the arrangements made to increase the troops and perhaps add an infantry company or some tanks for some reason or another. This is not what the committee wants to know, however; it wants to know what is happening. Since this government has always been in favour of transparency, this type of answer is very disappointing. That is my first question.
Before you answer me, Mr. Minister, I wish to tell you that, if we lose the information battle in Canada, we will lose the battle in Afghanistan. That is how it has always gone. The battle in Vietnam was lost on American territory, not in Vietnam. It is the same thing for us, since we are now headed in the same direction. This is why, with the responsibility incumbent on us, we want to have this type of information. I do not see why you want to keep it from us.
Mr. Minister, did you agree to have the Standing Committee on National Defence kept in the dark?
Are you linked to the decision whereby we are only sent to visit the bases or we get to listen to generals who visit us from time to time?
Is this your personal decision or did your department staff make this decision?