Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for South Shore—St. Margarets for her advocacy for Nova Scotia's manufacturers, such as Hawboldt Industries. Companies like this prove that advanced defence manufacturing is thriving in rural Canada.
Our defence industrial strategy makes procurement a driver of growth. In Atlantic Canada, the sector supports 10,000 good-paying jobs. Through a defence investment agency, at least 70% of our defence spending will focus on generating jobs and investments here at home. That makes work in communities like Chester and allows faster delivery for equipment to the Canadian Armed Forces.