Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you so much for being here.
As the member who represents North Island-Powell River, I see your ships in my waterways quite frequently, and it always makes our communities feel safer, so thank you for the work you're doing.
Some of the questions I have are around fleet recapitalization. There have been a few reports that have emphasized the aging state of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, and I quote, “A significant amount of the fleet is fully depreciated.”
A report written by analysts Bill Austin and Carl Hegge mentions that, in their opinion, the Coast Guard “has not been aggressive enough in making its case for better funding”.
Since the Liberal government has recognized the underfunding and has committed to a more incremental funding system, could you let us know what the pending various review exercises are, how long this process will take, and how much money is needed?