Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of National Defence.
In order to lessen the consequences of the closure of the base in Chatham, New Brunswick, the minister forced the bidders for the program of refurbishment of armoured vehicles to do the work in Chatham, where there is no expertise in the field. Yet, in Saint-Jean, Quebec, the government closed the Military College, reduced the staff and the activities of the base, with dire consequences for the region's economy, but offered no compensation whatsoever.
How does the minister justify, on the one hand, compensating Chatham for the losses while, on the other, refusing to give Oerlikon of Saint-Jean the same incentives he gave GM, and this despite the fact that Oerlikon has unique expertise in the area of gun turrets?