Thank you.
Moving to another issue, from the newspapers and otherwise, I understand there are many aid agencies in Afghanistan that are essentially paralyzed and do not want to work because of the situation that's been created. I understand 33 humanitarian groups have signed a petition asking for change by those countries with military forces in Afghanistan because the aid agencies' “neutrality has been compromised”. CARE Canada and World Vision Canada have now refused government contracts in Afghanistan.
Added to that, DND very recently increased the commander contingency fund in Afghanistan by another $1 million. Colonel Mike Capstick, who testified before this committee, recently said it tends to take up to two years to get funding in use on the ground in Afghanistan.
We now share the objective with you of winning hearts and minds in Afghanistan. For doing that, you would agree that aid agencies, the NGOs, are a vital part of the work. What is the government doing about this? Are we encouraging NATO to work more closely with the aid agencies?
Why is the government not trying to solve the problem for the delivery of aid and development funding through CIDA and international and domestic aid agencies, rather than giving the military an additional but, in the grand scheme of things, small amount of money?
Is it your strategy that the military should take the lead on providing aid? Would it not further alienate the NGOs that we so badly need on the ground?