Mr. Speaker, the member's first question was in regard to the process. The process of course, from the requirements of the Department of National Defence, was a decision of the government. Treasury board is part of that government, so it is in compliance with treasury board guidelines.
Let me just briefly lay this out. In August a letter of interest went out to the aerospace industry to promote a dialogue. It outlined the intended procurement strategy for all parties. The rationale for our procurement strategy is quite simple. We believe that a separate competitive process will ensure that the crown obtains both the required helicopter and the integrated mission system as well as the long term in service support needed, at the lowest possible price. It will also allow for greater industry participation in the competition.
The member's preamble simply talked about lowest cost. That is not true. The procurement strategy is much broader than cost. It has to be compliant with the broad specifications as outlined in the letter of interest and as fully detailed on the government website.