Mr. Speaker, ever since they have been in service, Sea King helicopters have made an outstanding contribution in many areas, and more particularly in surveillance, and search and rescue operations.
They have been deployed throughout the world, during the gulf war, in Somalia, in Haiti, in the Adriatic Sea for our involvement in NATO operations, and also in East Timor.
I think all Canadians should be proud of what the Sea Kings and their crews have accomplished over the years. But, as the minister has said, it is time to replace the Sea Kings.
The minister has confirmed on several occasions in the House that, as far as equipment goes, the new maritime helicopter project is his first priority. We are working on an acquisition strategy.
But this work is taking more time than we had foreseen in the white book, because the government wants to make sure we will have the equipment that meets our needs best.
The government must make sure that the new maritime helicopter will met the operational needs of the Canadian forces. For a procurement program as important as this one, several departments have to be consulted. The government will make an announcement when everything is ready.
What my colleague emphatically calls broken promises is the dedication of my government to make things right from all points of view. This is more important than politicking.