Thank you, Madam Chair.
I too want to be sure whether or not Mr. Wernick is feeling unwell and whether that's a legitimate excuse for him not to appear, and also to make sure we're not confusing him with the current Clerk of the Privy Council, Mr. Ian Shugart, who we know is facing some major health challenges. Of course we wish him well in his recovery and hope he gets well soon.
I don't have a problem with adding a couple of names. I don't think they will be able to shed a lot of light, but they arose from the parliamentary secretary at the time, when we appointed General Vance as CDS.
It would be good to compare the screening processes for General Vance and Admiral McDonald. Where are the flaws, and how do we improve this so that we can get down to appointing commanders of the Canadian Armed Forces who will ultimately be able to inspire their troops when it comes to issues like operation audit. We can talk about that appointment process. I think it's good on all fronts that we do that, because it is important.
Madam Chair, weren't both Mr. Wernick and Ms. Astravas called to committee via a written invitation, or did you pick up the phone and call them? That's the other option. If there was an actual email or letter that came under your signature or from the clerk on your behalf, there has already been a written invitation, and they declined it. That's why it's important to have a summons. Time is of the essence. The women who serve to protect all of us deserve our protection, and we need to get the appropriate witnesses in front of this committee as quickly as possible.