Ed T., I agree that Mr Leslie comes with more baggage than any other freshman MP we have ever seen in our lifetime. He comes from an Artillery family and he served in the Royal Regiment until he reached the rank of Colonel; further, his (extensive) experience of joint operations never included maritime task forces. On the other hand, his entire military career was spent in the unified Canadian Forces, which have consistently pursued "jointness" over more than 30 years, so he's not blind to the needs of the non-pongo services -- or of the industries and regions supporting them.

More than that, Mr Leslie is very, very smart -- intelligent enough to avoid appointments for which he is not well prepared.

Full disclosure -- I am slightly acquainted with the guy, and I have a brother who knows him very well.