When I was in the Department of National Defence, I continually reminded them--particularly to my military colleague--that the Department of National Defence is a department of government, and as such, while it has primary responsibility to support the armed forces, it must look at all the objectives of government and be seen to participate in all those objectives of government.
Obviously it must do that not at the expense of providing what the Canadian Forces requires and needs and so on, but objectives of the Canadian government include regional development, economic development, official languages, and the environment. All those things are objectives of the Government of Canada. The Department of National Defence must not only participate, but must be seen to participate, in those objectives of government. If the government wishes to change its objectives, fine. As I said, those objectives will not be seen to such an extent that the armed forces get second-rate equipment, for example, but regional and industrial benefits are objectives of the Government of Canada; therefore, the Department of National Defence must participate in them.