I would agree with you that a contribution for defence is important. On the other hand, again, stressing the point, what kind of answer would a government give to Canadians if a major crisis or a natural disaster...? We can imagine, for instance, just looking at what's happening off the gulf coast currently in the United States, that if the forces were not in a position to assist coastal communities in Canada in a sufficient manner, and the government's response was that we have international obligations elsewhere, that would not ring very well with Canadians. Simply put, one has to have the ability to respond to these crises, regardless of our foreign security commitments.
On May 4th, 2010. See this statement in context.