Thank you for that.
Mr. Chair, through you to Minister Clement, there is a misunderstanding of the IRB process. There is a misunderstanding of the global supply chain. There is the suggestion that if some of the maintenance is being carried out by companies outside of Canada, we somehow will be at their mercy.
Is it also not true to say that when a Canadian company wins a contract to provide a component for the F-35, that will bring with it the requirement to maintain that piece of gear, which will, in fact, make the Australians and the Brits and the Americans and whoever else dependent on us for the same kind of support? To me, this makes the alliance, the consortium, a pretty common-sense way to go in terms of protecting all of us who have the common goal of protecting sovereignty, safety, and security around the world.