Mr. Speaker, I said yesterday and I say again today, quoting from Hansard : ``The name of Anne-Marie Doyle had come to my attention as someone who had served with great distinction at the OECD''.
As ministers, we are aware of many distinguished public servants working for the government now and also past public servants. I thought it would be good for the composition of the inquiry to have someone from the bench as the chair; someone from the field of journalism who was retired but who had some credibility as a member, and also someone who knew the workings of the government but specifically how foreign policy and defence policy were discharged by the government. I started looking at those kinds of people within the public service as well as former public servants.
I knew of Ms. Doyle's previous involvement in the Privy Council office as someone who had that particular dossier. When I asked for greater details about her career, it became obvious that she was someone of outstanding reputation who could discharge that position.
Had she continued to serve, I believe she would have discharged her obligations fully to the best of her abilities and as a credit to the commission.