Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: Senator Gold, to follow up on your response to Senator Patterson’s question yesterday, I don’t believe that your government is approaching its spending thoughtfully and prudently. Our national debt has nearly tripled in eight years. The recent revelations of General Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff, clearly demonstrate that the Canadian Armed Forces are facing enormous challenges, ranging from an ammunition shortage to a lack of housing for troops. These challenges are amplified by your government’s recent request to cut the National Defence budget by $1 billion.

Given the situation, Senator Gold, how does your government justify such a budget cut — which would be very detrimental to the preparation, training and well-being of our Armed Forces — while claiming that national security and the well-being of our soldiers are priorities?