Thank you.
Madam Chair, through you, the leader of the Conservative Party, Mr. Poilievre, has said he refuses to get briefed on national security matters because he doesn't want to then be restricted to speak. Former leader Mr. O'Toole removed members from NSICOP. When the now leader of the Conservatives was the Minister of Democratic Institutions, there were statements that he didn't take action on strengthening our democracy because he felt it wasn't among his partisan issues, yet the Conservatives continually remove their members from learning the facts of the national security situation going on in this country in a secure way.
When you appear today and reasonably say there are going to be limitations on some of the information you can share in an open setting, the Conservatives say, “What are you hiding?” Mr. Cooper used the word “collusion” in the past. Could you speak to the reasonableness? Mr. Poilievre doesn't want to be briefed so that he is no longer constrained to keep national security matters confidential. Can you speak to why there is sensitivity around your testimony today?