I'll just say again, respecting the role public servants have with ministers and questioning at this committee, that it says in Marleau and Montpetit, page 864, the following:
...public servants have been excused from commenting on the policy decisions made by the government. In addition, committees will ordinarily accept the reasons that a public servant gives for declining to answer a specific question or series of questions which involve the giving of a legal opinion, or which may be perceived as a conflict with the witness' responsibility to the Minister, or which is outside of their own area of responsibility or which might affect business transactions.
I just put that on the record, and you can answer accordingly.