I have an excellent working relationship and I have my vice chief of defence with me, who may want to add remarks to this.
We discuss their response to operations and they brief me on the actions that they're taking. I think it is my responsibility to ask a lot of questions, to get information and to clarify certain things. I think that the value of those discussions is that together we actually can produce better outcomes. However, I do not believe that it is my authority to issue an order to the Canadian Armed Forces.
There is a very significant separation between my duties as an elected official and as the Minister of National Defence, and the chief of defence's and her team's responsibility to manage and operate the Canadian Armed Forces.