I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number nine of the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence. Pursuant to the motion adopted on September 23, the committee is meeting to proceed with a briefing by the Secretary of State for Defence Procurement on his mandate and NATO defence spending.
I welcome the Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, to a committee that he's very familiar with, having once chaired it himself.
Joining the secretary of state are Arianne Reza, deputy minister of Public Works and Government Services, and Paula Folkes, associate assistant deputy minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada.
I will now invite the secretary of state to make his opening statement. You have up to five minutes.