Mr. Bachand, thank you for not including me in the old boys club.
As for your question, I think things need to be put in context. I understand Mr. Coyle's position regarding the United States, but you must understand, even if it is not up to me to tell you this, that the Government of the United States operates in an entirely different fashion than the Canadian government. In Canada we have what we call a Westminster system of government. Responsibilities conferred upon Canadian parliamentarians under this system are very different from those conferred upon members of Congress and Senate in the United States.
We are just saying that parliamentarians should play a more significant role in the defence procurement process, but why not talk about this process government-wide? I do not understand why you want to focus exclusively on defence procurement.
To be in a position to answer your question, our system of government would really have to be studied and we would need to determine what the role of parliamentarians is, as regards not only the defence procurement process, but all government activities.
Under the current system in Canada, the role of parliamentarians does not include reviewing each acquisition and getting involved in it, just as it does not include getting involved in other areas.
Since that is how our system is, that is my answer.