National Defence committee  I'm not sure what you mean by that.

National Defence committee  I'm sure they are.

National Defence committee  I can't comment on others. I have no idea what their processes were. I have no idea what their rules are. I have no idea what their other assets are in terms of jet aircraft.

National Defence committee  I think the Norwegians did, or tried to and it didn't work. I'm not sure.

National Defence committee  That's my understanding, but I can't know for certain.

National Defence committee  Correct.

National Defence committee  Yes. There are also the commitments. We're paying half a billion dollars on this, and those commitments continue. If we decide not to buy, there is potentially an implication--not a good one--for our industry. As we've said all along, their ability to normally be given the right to continue to bid on the thousands might not be there any more.

National Defence committee  That is correct. In fact, section 7.4 demands of all parties, from an integrity standpoint, to make sure that all qualified companies from any participant country have a fair chance at any of these.

National Defence committee  Absolutely.

National Defence committee  And even potentially buying these things.

National Defence committee  There is a fairly rigorous process within the department. These things don't happen overnight, and typically the requirements that are prepared by the military go through a fairly rigorous challenge function—or should—by their colleagues and by the civilian side. Certainly when I was there, my effort was always to make sure that at the end of the day anything we put out could pass what we called the “Globe and Mail test”: does this make sense; can the minister be embarrassed; can we be criticized for excluding competition?

National Defence committee  Let me see if I understand your question. It is absolutely correct, I think--it's what I heard the minister say--that instead of getting a guarantee, we're opening ourselves up for the potential, and the potential can be the potential to bid on $12 billion. When you bid on $12 billion, you might win 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%.

National Defence committee  Frankly, I would say the same thing if I were them. If I was ATCO or Honeywell or L-3 or Magellan and I'd won a contract, I'd be here advocating for the continuation of the program, because that's in my best interest. The fact that in any competition I might get other business might be true, but a bird in the hand is worth much, much more than two in the bush, and I'd be advocating as strongly as they are.

National Defence committee  I think you should know that I spent 15 years in this business, and my whole focus was always doing what's best to meet the needs of the military, and do things in an open, fair, and transparent way. I don't think in the whole time I was at Public Works or National Defence ministers got castigated in public for how they did things.

National Defence committee  Yes.