I think it's very important to keep accountabilities clear. The military defines requirements, and the civilians are the ones who act in.... These include the deputy minister, the minister, the ADM Materiel. The civilian side has to be able to take those requirements, challenge them effectively, make sure there is nothing untoward, and make sure before it goes public that everything is in fact scrutinized and makes sense and is reasonable. That's how you protect the minister.
On October 7th, 2010. See this statement in context.