Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the additional costs that a carbon tax would have on any supply chain management issue, whether we are talking about fighter jets or the northern nutrition program, anything we want to talk about, I want to take this opportunity to talk about this seven point plan so that the member completely understands that it was introduced by the government defining how due diligence is to be applied as we move forward with replacing Canada's fighter jet.
On June 13, 2012, the Government of Canada announced that the secretariat was operational within Public Works. The secretariat has the lead coordinating role as the government moves to replace Canada's CF-18 fleet and is ensuring that due diligence, oversight and transparency are being applied.
The government has effectively pushed restart on the replacement of the CF-18s. I wish the NDP would press restart on its whole notion of a carbon tax. That said, no decision will be made until the seven point plan is complete.
The evaluation of options is under way and will provide the best available information about the range of choices that could meet the needs of our men and women in uniform.