Thank you for saying that. I want to go back, for the sake of transparency.
I want to thank you personally, Mr. Ross, for your candid responses. This is not a political issue. As General Hincke, General Ward, and you, as a former military man...this is an issue of making sure the right equipment is available. Were there obstacles in the past in how procurement was brought forth? As you said earlier, of course there were. Now, we're changing.
General Hillier was also kind enough...and I appreciate your candid response. You were asked a question by a member of the committee earlier and you rebutted very honestly in saying no, that is not the case.
If you recall, the start of a review on procurement—and I want to state this for the record, Mr. Chair, because what we are trying to do here is very important—really commenced post-2005 budget.
The previous Liberal government was more than receptive. So the statement made earlier, that there is some suspicion, some investigation, etc., I think we have to take totally off the record. That being the case, the moneys that first came forward in the 2005 budget have now very much appreciated, and they have also increased under this new government. So what would be the case? What we really want to do, as my colleague Mr. Martin said, looking at other models and how we make it more effective, more efficient, and streamlined, nobody here wants to question.
I want to just close by asking this question. You mentioned the Department of Public Works and CDS. Yesterday, the response from the minister--and we don't want to waste the minister's time--was to ask Public Works, ask Industry. Really, it is the Department of Public Works.
Would you just say yes or no, because the buzzer is going?