Mr. Chair, I appreciate the opportunity to ask my good friend and colleague from the Bloc Quebecois a few questions on this issue.
He made the point that he wanted to distinguish himself as a sovereignist. I must say that being a sovereignist, as far as I am aware, does not allow someone to violate the laws of logic or to be inconsistent from one day to the next.
The issue that the member raised yesterday in the House during question period was one that was of great interest to me. He asked me a question in relation to a contract for $700,000 that the Department of National Defence was sponsoring in connection with the high frequency surface wave radar that is produced by one of Canada's defence companies.
This radar is able to see over the horizon and extends to a range of about 320 kilometres. It is normally used for the purpose of tracking ships and low flying planes, as well as ice floes and icebergs and that sort of thing, but it could potentially be used for detecting cruise missiles.
The member opposite was very categorical in asking why we were potentially participating in these missile detection trials. By the way, we have not made a decision to participate in these missile detection trials, formally in any event.
However he was very critical of the testing of radar systems for cruise missiles and yet tonight we hear him say that he has more concerns about cruise missiles launched from cargo vessels than he does about ballistic missiles.
I would suggest to the hon. member, and maybe he could respond to this, that he be a bit more consistent in terms of his arguments. He cannot say on one day that he is not concerned about cruise missiles and on the next day suggest that they present more of a threat than ballistic missiles.