I want to read a quotation for you. It comes from James Lewis, currently senior vice-president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who says that the most effective way to provide sustainable and long-term protection against cyber-attacks is through offensive capabilities and the destruction of opponent networks and systems. If we continue with an orientation that is strictly defensive, in his words, it's “the equivalent of a static defence, defending fixed positions rather than manoeuvring, and conceding initiative to opponents...”.
The nature of national security is changing constantly. Our Five Eyes allies have the ability to carry out an offensive cyber approach. I'm not simply speaking about the United States—middle powers like New Zealand, Australia, and Canada have this ability already. In fact, we've heard at this committee that we are behind those countries.
What would you say to someone like Professor Lewis, who states that if countries like Canada choose not to act, we're always going to be on the defensive and we can't pre-empt attacks on our critical infrastructure. This pre-emptive capacity is important for the safety and security of this country and its citizens.