Mr. Speaker, this government says that it has not yet made a decision regarding the C-17s. The Minister of National Defence knows full well that this matter has gone through all the cabinet stages. They are just waiting for the House to adjourn and then will announce this project because they do not like answering embarrassing questions. Yet, experts agree that a call for tenders can save taxpayers between 10% and 30%.
Why does the government refuse to give taxpayers the benefit of a more intelligent procurement strategy? Is it because the Minister of National Defence knows that a bid by Airbus to provide aircraft would have him up to his neck in a conflict of interest?