Thank you to both of you for being here today.
I'm glad, Mr. Newark, you ended on the point about the CSE because that's where I want to begin, in terms of offensive cyber-capability. We've heard a number of witnesses testify in favour of this. There have been several witnesses who have raised real concerns, in particular, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, OpenMedia, but others as well.
I take your point that in new threat environments, Canada and other democracies need to really adapt. You're familiar, I think, with the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo. They recently published a piece, and I want to read a quote from it and get both your thoughts.
They say, as follows:
...if the Cold War taught us anything, it is that sometimes the best way to ensure that everyone lives in peace is to ensure that everyone has the ability to destroy one another, otherwise known as the doctrine of mutually assured destruction. Cyber-weapons that have clear offensive uses do just that. They show the world (or at least those that know you have them) that should you be attacked, you can escalate and retaliate in turn.
Is this an apt way of looking at where we find ourselves today in terms of international security?