This is a point of correction. When I was parliamentary secretary for defence I did not sit on the steering committee. The parliamentary secretary is really an extension of the government, so it wasn't appropriate, respecting the independence of the committee, for a parliamentary secretary, an arm of the government, to influence the core committee that decided the business of the committee in many ways. For that reason, I was excluded from being there.
On February 4th, 2009. See this statement in context.