Hon. Roméo Antonius Dallaire:

Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate and is regarding Afghanistan.

I would like to talk about a point that came up last week. I noticed the leader engaging in some mudslinging when I said that I wanted to discuss a clear issue and she responded by talking about Bill S-35, which had absolutely nothing to do with my question. I found the answer redundant and even incorrect.

When I was director of army requirements, what scared me the most in those days was a general walking around with a glossy brochure, saying, "I want 12 of these things." However, what scares me even more is when I have a Minister of National Defence standing in front of a cardboard mock-up, saying, "I want 65 of those things."

Maybe when I see the operational effectiveness of the system and its project management process, I will be more inclined to look at that weapon system for what it is worth.

I come back to the question about the Canadian Afghan advisers with the troops overseas. The minister said she would look into this matter, since the ruling did not permit the advisers to continue to be employed after three months.

We have heard continuously that the government has taken major steps in terms of whole-of-government solutions to our needs, particularly in Afghanistan. There are four different task forces. This is an operational essential that can have an impact on the security of troops in the field. I cannot understand if there is a whole-of-government approach, why the government has not anticipated this need. Why is it that we will lose that capability and present risks on the ground before a solution is brought forward, for something that is so mundane administratively?

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