Madam Chair, the hon. member knows that even though timeliness of delivery is listed as a major factor, at the end of the day every vehicle delivered has to meet the specifications. We are not going to be accepting substandard equipment. The equipment will be delivered on spec and, even more importantly, on time. This is where that is coming from.
Second, he has described the RPG as being part of the continuing environment over there, but in fact I actually am not aware of a recent incident of the use of an RPG. I accept that they are over there. Where military or other intelligence shows that this type of weaponry is out there and is about to be used--and we do get that type of intelligence--then we will enlist the proper vehicles. These types of attacks actually do not just pop up. Much of it can be recognized through local intelligence.
In addition, the vehicles going out there are selected for use based on the risk. As for our heavy fighting, our fighting edge, our sharp edge, which someone described earlier as going out to hunt down the terrorists, in polite company around here we do not talk about it. Yes, we do have a very effective fighting capability and it is over there. As it needs to be used, it will have to be used and Canadians will respect that, but we are not all over there organized in a hunt to hunt down, kill and engage like we see in some of the American movies. We are going there to help Afghans rebuild. We do not do that with guns slung over our shoulders. We have to do it in a way that the Afghans will accept and they are accepting the Canadian way now.
However, there will be circumstances of danger. We have adequate forces, extremely well trained, to deal with the conditions of engagement of heavily armed opposition. Most of our work will not involve that. The vehicles chosen for that work will be appropriate to the risk. I have just as much interest as the member does in making sure that is what happens.