Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Kootenay West-Revelstoke has drawn attention to the government's questionable decision to proceed with the Hughes Canadian automatic air traffic system. Yet we are informed that the defence department, 16 months after federal auditors warned that the civilian system was two years behind schedule and massively over the agreed contract price, signed a $70 million deal for a military version of the same system.
What prompted the Minister of National Defence to invest in a system that does not meet the original specifications? Why did he proceed with this project?