Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to pick up on Ms. Mathyssen's line of questioning.
You said it was important to be transparent with the public and show the real numbers, but that makes me wonder whether we shouldn't be transparent with ourselves. I'm talking about what Philippe Lagassé told the committee on November 7. He said the department tended to be too optimistic in its projections. He attributed it to a culture of always wanting to move forward and not wanting to give direct or honest answers, especially to the Department of Finance. DND always wants budget approval, so it underestimates project costs and the project ends up going over budget. Alternatively, the project is split into two, meaning only part of the work is completed in the hope that funding will become available to do the rest of the work later.
Is it time for a change in approach? Is it time for a frank discussion about that?