Mr. Speaker, on October 5, the Minister of National Defence stated that the fire on board the HMCS Chicoutimi was “a small setback”. We now know that was not true. The submariners themselves immediately reported the tragic event that claimed Lieutenant Saunders' life as a major fire that left the Chicoutimi adrift in rough seas without power.
Why did the Minister of National Defence mislead Canadians by downplaying the severity of the problem?