Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Major-General Coates, your explanation is rather difficult to follow. You said in your remarks that armed forces commanders and staff work actively with their civilian counterparts. You then said that the Canadian Armed Forces always provide support to civilian authorities as a last resort.
Has that situation changed recently?
What I observed after the floods in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and the surrounding area in 2011 does not quite fit with the explanation you gave. In fact, it does not fit at all. When you say you are in continuous liaison with civilian authorities, was that line of communication put in place after 2011 or recently? Specifically, was it put in place as part of Operation Lentus in Calgary in 2013?