Through the chain of command, it's the chief of the defence staff.
Mr. James Bezan:
Is it only to the chief of the defence staff, or do you talk to others as well?
Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan:
No, when it comes to.... As you know, the chief of the defence staff is the person the Minister of Defence works through, but there are always staff who are always there.
Mr. James Bezan:
Okay. Was he the very first person you talked to in the Canadian Armed Forces?
Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan:
To be honest, there are people in the room. When it comes to the information, it's within a large group, as you know. As a former parliamentary secretary, you know the number of people who are there.
Mr. James Bezan:
Did you inform the Prime Minister's Office before you gave this direction to the Canadian Armed Forces?
Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan:
No. I was working directly with the evacuation at that time.