Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, gentlemen.
My question is related to the comments of Mr. Rioux, the new parliamentary secretary to the Minister of National Defence.
On January 30, 2009, the Shipbuilding Association of Canada sent a letter to Stephen Harper, who was the Prime Minister of Canada at the time, to ask him to establish a naval strategy. Mr. Irving was one of the co-signers of the letter. The letter listed various needs and four shipyards involved, including Davie, in Lévis, Irving, Washing Marine Group and Upper Lakes Group Inc. in Ontario. The builders of these four groups got together to ask that a maritime strategy be established, and it was. Fortunately, Irving and Seaspan ended up getting the contracts.
Today, you think that the other shipyards can disappear, that you will get the contracts, and you will build Canadian ships for the next 100 years. I would like to understand why you are so intent on doing this. You have already nearly shut down the other companies in the industry. Now you are doing business and consider that the others can disappear.
What is your intention? You know you have contracts for 30 years.