Mr. Speaker, the government has been dithering for months and even years on the helicopter question and endangering people's lives in the process.
The latest example was at Hibernia last Sunday when 107 folks had to be evacuated off the rig. They could not use the search and rescue planes out of Halifax. They used leased helicopters.
My question is for the Minister of National Defence. When is the minister and the government going to make an announcement about replacement helicopters? Can he assure us that the process he is using will be both fair and transparent?