Mr. Chair, I would like to welcome Mr. Ross. He is a favourite of ours, since he manages a very substantial budget. Money is important, as are economic spinoffs and military contracts.
I examined the feedback from the consultations that CADSI initiated with industrial and military components. Mr. Wilfert talked about governance and stated that one minister could be asked to head up the entire operation. As I see it, we still need someone to take responsibility at the political level. CADSI also made a number of other recommendations that I would like to discuss with you.
Specifically, CADSI recommended that the government implement a defence industrial strategy. Having consulted the industry on a number of occasions, I can report that it is not exactly pleased with the way things work. After the Canada First Defence Strategy was unveiled, a decision was made—one that politics did not play a major part in—to purchase strategic and tactical aircraft and so forth. The industry was not consulted much on the decision.
Would you also support the development and implementation of a defence industrial policy that could help the industry design what the government wants and fully help bring these designs to fruition?