Madam Speaker, the military brass knows better than to ask for what it does not have.
If we as a nation are going to require individuals to go into harm's way, we have an obligation to equip them so as to minimize the risk of injury or death. Having served with the defence minister on the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs, I know that he is a proponent of the interoperability with our allies. I would suggest that the minister extend that perspective to equipment as well as shared defence capabilities.
I recommend that rather than warming over old announcements, the Prime Minister must pursue an honest policy when it comes to our military, with real funding announcements that represent real dollars.
The deterioration of Canada's military has been gradual and insidious. Let us plan for the renaissance of our defence capabilities to once again secure Canada's position among nations as an active and viable participant in the world community.