Debates of Nov. 7th, 2006

National Defence—Main Estimates 2006-07

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to hear that.

I know the minister is preparing a defence plan for Canada. CFB Greenwood is in my riding, a very important element within the military. Economically, it is very important to the area as well. The business community and the municipalities are making investments in support of that installation.

Could the minister indicate the future prospects for the Greenwood military base as well as new investments in personnel or services that might be located at CFB Greenwood?

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Chair, Greenwood is a very important base for the military and it continues to have a very positive future. The member will have to wait for the outcome of the plan to see how it will affect Greenwood, but it will certainly affect Greenwood in a positive way.

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Chair, in my riding, we have the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, which opened after the Cornwallis military base closed. The centre is headed by Canada's former chief of the Defence staff, Mr. Baril. The centre provides training for soldiers, police officers and non-governmental organizations from nearly every country in the world. It has given training in more than 20 countries, and people also come to be trained on site in Nova Scotia.

We are worried about the centre. We know that the former government had agreed to renew its funding, but we are waiting for a commitment from the current government, especially the Department of National Defence, which partners with CIDA and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Could the minister tell us that we will shortly be receiving the funding needed to maintain this very important centre?

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Chair, as the member has noted, the financing of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre is a shared responsibility and DND will be meeting its share.

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Chair, we understand that the minister and the government is preparing a defence plan and that defence plan will have to consider a lot of investments in tactical and strategic air lift and in navy and army equipment. Could the minister indicate to this House and to Canadians how he could go ahead and invest $17.5 billion in air lift, especially for the big budget item like the strategic air lift, without having completed a full plan for our military?

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Chair, the first five projects we announced were very basic projects in the sense that they were mobility projects: air mobility, land mobility and sea mobility. They are required in any possible scenario and cabinet agreed. They are included in the plan. These projects are inside the final version of the plan because they are basic to the needs of the armed forces.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Chair, please let me know when my five minutes are up so my colleague can use the last five minutes.

When the minister was a lobbyist, was Airbus one of his clients?

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Chair, I can answer this question, but I do not think it has anything to do with estimates. I think you should consider, as Chair, that this question has nothing to do with estimates.

[The Deputy Chair, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

In response to the minister, the examination here is of the estimates. If the minister believes that the question is pertinent, he may answer.

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Chair, it has nothing to do with the estimates.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Chair, I rise on a point of order. It seems to me that procurement policies have everything to do with the estimates. Whether the minister is in a position to handle procurement fairly is a fundamental question.

[The Deputy Chair, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

This appears to be a question of debate to which the Chair cannot be involved.

The hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Chair, I hope that the minister's dilatory tactics and the time you took to render a decision will not count as part of my allotted time.

[The Deputy Chair, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

Of course not.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Chair, I have another question for the minister.

Was Airbus one of the companies that submitted a bid as part of the public bidding process for the Department of National Defence's air transporters?

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Chair, I did not even get a question out of that.

[The Deputy Chair, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

The hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Chair, since that really was a question, I must assume that it was lost in translation.

I would like to ask my question again, and I would like my time to start over when I ask it.

Can the minister tell us whether Airbus submitted a bid as part of the public bidding process for the Department of National Defence's acquisition of strategic and tactical transport?

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Chair, I rise on a point of order. Matters of procurement, which I believe this is dealing with, fall under the Department of Public Works and, therefore, they are not germane to this particular discussion.

[The Deputy Chair, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

The point of order which was raised by the hon. member is mostly a point of debate, not a point of order. I would like the House to get back to the estimates and not involve the Chair in this issue.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would like the minister to answer the question.

Did Airbus submit a bid as part of the public bidding process for the Department of National Defence's acquisition of strategic and tactical transport, yes or no?

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Chair, I do not know if they did or not. I never asked.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Chair, did General Dynamics-Raytheon submit a bid to supply the joint support ships, yes or no?

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Chair, we can go through the entire lists. It matters not to me at all who bids or does not bid. The requirements are set by the military. The funding comes from the military. The funding comes from our department and the procurement system is managed by public works and defence officials. My part in it is to ensure there is a fair process at the beginning and that is what I did.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Chair, can the minister tell us whether Stewart Stevenson, one of his former clients, submitted a bid for military vehicles, yes or no?