Thank you, witnesses, for your testimonies and your service, and for spending your time coming here today and sharing your insights with this committee.
We've been flipping back and forth recently between the PCVRS contract and this entrepreneurial study. Sometimes we feel like we're losing a bit of traction.
Something that was brought up in the last meeting was the U.S.'s vision or the way they treat their veterans in terms of social mobility. I want to touch on that with the witnesses here.
Here's what I'd like to start with. The United States treats military service as a foundation for social mobility. The GI bill, the boots to business program and the 3% federal contracting set-aside all reflect a deliberate policy choice that service should open economic doors, not close them. Veterans are seen as proven leaders, disciplined operators and credible entrepreneurs worthy of investment.
Mr. Brulotte, when you stated your four recommendations, you touched on this. In Canada, we're studying barriers to veteran entrepreneurship, while the $6.6-billion defence industrial strategy excludes the very people who served in the sector it's meant to build. What does that omission say about how Canada values military service as a pathway to economic opportunity?