Mr. Speaker, first let me congratulate the hon. member for his elevation to the position of defence critic, although I must say I will miss the back and forth I enjoyed with his predecessor, the member for Lakeland.
In response to his question, the government, in the last budget, had a 7% increase in its baseline budget at a time when many NATO countries have experienced cuts in their defence budgets. The government has maintained a very strong commitment to the military. We are embarked on a crucially important mission in Afghanistan where we represent 40% of the ISAF forces, and I am very proud of that contribution.