 The frequent rotation of defence ministers with 7 men holding the portfolio between 1971–79 meant there were no defence ministers who ever really understood their portfolio, which led to much confusion and a lack of direction from the top.Moreover, the Department of National Defence was considered to be unglamorous portfolio that the more abler ministers in the Trudeau cabinet wanted to avoid, and Morton wrote all of the defence ministers of the 1970s were mediocrities.Trudeau had little time for his generals, and starting in 1972 began a programme of "civilization", bringing civil servants and "management experts" to push aside the senior officers at the Department of National Defence in attempt to "rationalize" military decision-making.