My first question, Minister, is to you. It concerns the replacement of our Buffalo search and rescue planes. Quietly the statement of requirements has been changed. The minimum speed required has been raised to 140 knots.
In my province of British Columbia, to do adequate contour searches you have to fly between 70 knots and 120 knots. This change will make us purchase a plane that is going to put the lives of our SAR techs in danger and also make us unable to do an adequate job of doing contour search and rescue.
Why was the statement of requirements changed to raise the minimum flight speed?
The second question concerns an MC that went with respect to the purchase of the tactical airlift. By leasing the strategic airlift from the U.S., we would save $400 million of taxpayers' money, something that would have been more efficient. The Globemasters would have been in Canada. We would have access to it and save $400 million.
The outcome of the plan you have, sir, is that I suspect that you're forcing to contract capabilities in other areas. For example, there is the plan to remove our refueling and supply ships from the navy two years prior to the new ones coming on board; I'd like to have your assurance that our navy's supply ships will be able, functional, and operational until the new ones come on line.
Finally, are you going to extend the combat role of our troops in Afghanistan beyond 2009?