I cannot say, Mr. Bachand. Within the American administration, some committees have access to higher levels of authorization and can obtain more detailed information. I cannot tell you what the situation in other countries is. All I can tell you is that we must respect the program security standards.
There is one thing that I find somewhat troubling, and perhaps that is why I reacted a little strongly. Given the media and exchanges that have taken place in Ottawa, there is a rumour that the Canadian Forces, for one reason or another, are trying to spend more money and purchase less. This greatly troubles me. First, it makes us look like we are incompetent, and second, I wonder why I would want to reduce our capacity. That is why I do not find the conversation logical.
You need to accept that the Canadian Forces do not have a lot of funds with which to carry out all our programs. So, we try to get the most with the funds we have. You can rest assured of that, Mr. Bachand.