The NATEX is fifty-fifty funded by NCIA, or the agency, and by the nation. His role is fifty per cent to support the national industry in finding out what the agency is doing, and fifty per cent to support the agency itself. His really important role for the nation is that he sits on the national technical experts group and validates the agency's technical proposal. If that technical proposal by the agency excludes a solution provided by a Canadian company, that is bad for Canada, it's the NATEX who sits there and says, “I don't like that solution. Change it.” He's a really, really important person at that level.
On March 22nd, 2018. See this statement in context.