Thank you very much, Ms. Normandin.
First of all, I've been the minister at National Defence now for some period of time. I do not believe that I have any authority to issue orders to the Canadian Armed Forces and to the chief of defence.
There are some circumstances, some authorities, when they require my approval to give them a certain authority to undertake certain actions. However, I don't believe, in my own experience.... I've seen nothing in the National Defence Act that implies that I would have any authority to issue an order to the CDS or to any member of the Canadian Armed Forces.