Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question he asked more than five months ago.
As the parliamentary secretary, I have the privilege of working with the Minister of National Defence every day. I can attest to his honesty, integrity, and determination in carrying out his mandate. The minister has the support of the military, his colleagues, and the Prime Minister.
The primary responsibility of the minister and the government is to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces have the training and equipment they need. That is the goal towards which the Minister of National Defence has been striving with singular determination for almost two years now. He is working to discharge his mandate with the greatest respect for our men and women in uniform.
The minister is a proud Canadian with 26 years' experience in the Canadian Army Reserve, during which time he served his country with honour and distinction in four overseas missions. He served on an extraordinary team of Canadian, American, and Afghani soldiers who made Operation Medusa a success.
His commanding officer in Afghanistan, General Fraser, considered him to be one of the best intelligence officers he had ever worked with. He said:
He was the best single Canadian intelligence asset in theatre, and his hard work, personal bravery, and dogged determination undoubtedly saved a multitude of Coalition lives. Through his courage and dedication, [the minister] has single-handedly changed the face of intelligence gathering and analysis in Afghanistan.
Retired British Army colonel, Chris Vernon, said:
[W]ithout [the defence minister's] input as a critical player, major player, a pivotal player I’d say, Medusa wouldn’t have happened. We wouldn’t have the intelligence and the tribal picture to put the thing together.
The Minister of National Defence made a major contribution in his deployments as a reservist and he is making an even greater contribution within our government. He oversaw the most ambitious defence policy review of the past 20 years. He is now overseeing the implementation of more than a hundred initiatives that will ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces are fully able to meet current and future challenges.
He has established solid and effective contacts with all of our allies, including within NATO, and especially with our American neighbours, our most important military and economic partner. With the help of his cabinet colleagues, he has made major improvements to the procurement process.
I am proud of what he has accomplished. I am happy to work by his side, and I am convinced that, thanks to his vision, leadership, and hard work, our government will continue to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces have the tools they need to serve Canada for many years to come.