Mr. Speaker, I would like to join with the member for Musquodoboit Valley--Eastern Shore and say that the Minister of National Defence serves as an example to us all.
I agree with the member that the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard do a great job. The Government of Canada takes the recapitalization of the coast guard very seriously. In the year 2000 we committed $115 million for the replacement of over 40, 47 foot life boats. Half of them have been delivered and the other half under are construction.
At cabinet we discussed the future capitalization requirements of the coast guard, and I discuss this with the Minister of Finance, not in press conferences.