Thank you very much, Chair.
I think we are actually getting to the bottom of the great National Defence blueprint blunder. It would seem that proper procedures were followed that allowed what most of us would call highly sensitive documents to be thrown in a dumpster. Therefore, proper procedures in this case are just stupid. I don't think you would find a single person--including in your review--in Canada who wouldn't say that leaving blueprints like that lying around is not in the best interest of the security of our country and our personnel. It's that simple.
I'm hoping and expecting that as a result of your review there'll be a change in the policy. The deputy minister has said that those documents were not outside the bounds of what the contractor can do with those blueprints. Hopefully in the future that will be outside the bounds of what a contractor can do. I think we've sussed out that much. While procedures were followed, they are woefully inadequate to provide the basic protection Canadians expect the Department of National Defence to provide.
Having said that...and I'm comfortable that this is where we are. If it isn't, I'll be arguing that you come back here and defend a policy that didn't make the change that makes this out of bounds.
But assuming that's where it is, Mr. Nicholls, I want to talk to you, sir. If it's currently not against procedures for these things to be thrown in the dumpster, your agency is responsible from a common-sense point of view. What is your defence for these documents--that you would be responsible for--ultimately being thrown in the dumpster? How was that okay in terms of your responsibilities, sir?