Thank you, Chair.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak before this committee again, particularly on a topic that I think is of vital importance to our country.
Defence industrial policy is having a renaissance in Canada and internationally. While there have been several efforts to develop a Canadian policy over the decades, such as the 2014 defence procurement strategy, the last time it engendered a similar sustained interest was back in the 1950s.
The defence industrial base is among the most complex areas of policy-making. It involves military strategy, industrial policy, science and technology, education, and foreign trade, among others. Given its broad scope, I'd like to cede my time back to the committee and encourage members to ask specific questions of interest to them. I've written extensively on this area for the past decade. If members are interested, there are a number of works I can point to, such as a recent report on the history and structure of the Canadian defence industry, that would cover some of these areas.
My personal area of study is the comparative analysis of military strategy, procurement and industrial policy. In other words, it is the nexus of how our allies and partners formulate what military capabilities they will employ and how to develop and acquire them. By no means do any of them boast a perfect system, but their successes and failures are worthwhile to explore while Canada contemplates its own steps in this area.
Thank you. I look forward to your questions.