:
Welcome to meeting number 24 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, OGGO. Today we will hear from the President of the Treasury Board and officials regarding the subject matter of supplementary estimates (A), 2022-23.
Today’s meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the House order of November 25, 2021. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application. Regarding the speaking list, the committee clerk and I will do the best we can to maintain a consolidated order of speaking for all members, whether participating virtually or in person.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind all participants to this meeting that screenshots or taking photos of your screen is not permitted.
Given the ongoing pandemic situation and in light of the recommendations from public health authorities, as well as the directive of the Board of Internal Economy on October 19, 2021, to remain healthy and safe the following is recommended for all those attending the meeting in person.
Anyone with symptoms should participate by Zoom and not attend the meeting in person. Everyone must maintain a two-metre physical distancing, whether seated or standing. Everyone must wear a non-medical mask when circulating in the room. It is recommended in the strongest possible terms that members wear their masks at all times, including when seated. Non-medical masks, which provide better clarity over cloth masks, are available in the room. Everyone present must maintain proper hand hygiene by using the hand sanitizer at the room entrance. Committee rooms are cleaned before and after each meeting. To maintain this, everyone is encouraged to clean surfaces such as the desk, chair and microphone with the provided disinfectant wipes when vacating or taking a seat.
As the substitute for the chair, who is on his way, I will be enforcing these measures for the duration of the meeting, and I look forward to the chair arriving here as soon as possible. I thank members in advance for this co-operation.
I would like to welcome the President of the Treasury Board and her colleagues.
I invite you to make your opening remarks. I believe you have five minutes.
Minister, the floor is yours. Welcome to our committee once again.
:
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for welcoming me once again to the committee to discuss the supplementary estimates (A) 2022‑23. I am sure you have all received them.
Today, I am joined by an extraordinary team of senior Treasury Board Secretariat officials: Annie Boudreau, assistant secretary, expenditure management sector; Karen Cahill, assistant secretary and chief financial officer; and Marie‑Chantal Girard, senior assistant deputy minister, employee relations and total compensation. With us online we also have Monia Lahaie, assistant comptroller general, financial management sector; Samantha Tattersall, assistant comptroller general, acquired services and assets sector; and Paul Wagner, assistant deputy minister, strategy and transformation.
[English]
Open, transparent and accountable government means ensuring that parliamentarians and Canadians know how public funds are being invested on their behalf. This is why, in addition to estimates documents, we continue to make use of reporting tools such as GC InfoBase and the Open Government portal. These tools allow users to easily see the authorities approved by Parliament.
[Translation]
I would now like to turn to the supplementary estimates (A) 2022‑23.
These supplementary estimates present information on additional spending requirements which were not sufficiently defined at the time of tabling of the main estimates, or which have been subsequently refined to reflect new developments.
In these supplementary estimates, the government is asking Parliament to approve $8.8 billion in voted budgetary expenditures in 26 organizations to address issues of importance to Canadians.
The supplementary estimates also show, for information purposes, planned statutory spending of $860 million.
The major items requested in this year's supplementary estimates are:
[English]
There's $2.1 billion for the Department of Indigenous Services for costs related to compensation agreements in connection with the first nations child and family services program and Jordan's principle, and for reforms to the programs.
There's $1.4 billion for the Public Health Agency of Canada for the procurement of additional COVID-19 therapeutics to meet the needs of provincial and territorial health systems.
There's $1.2 billion for the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs for settlements.
[Translation]
The budget allocates $823.6 million to the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program. This program provides financial assistance to provincial and territorial governments and will be used to cover costs related to disasters over the past decade, such as the Fort McMurray, Alberta, forest fires in 2016, the New Brunswick ice storm in 2017, and the spring floods in Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec in the same year.
Five hundred million in funding is earmarked for the Department of National Defence for military support to Ukraine to help defend its sovereignty.
There is $329.7 million for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority to support security screening at airports across the country.
Finally, $322.5 million is provided for the Department of Transport to extend and expand the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles Program. This will encourage the purchase of more vehicle models, including vans, trucks and SUVs.
[English]
While approximately $1 billion of the planned budgetary spending presented in the supplementary estimates (A) relates to budget 2022 proposals, additional authorities to implement other budget 2022 initiatives will be sought in future supplementary estimates once implementation plans are further developed.
These estimates demonstrate our government's ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for Canadians. We are investing in public health, indigenous children and families, disaster response and recovery, and the fight against climate change. We are also supporting international partners that share our democratic values.
[Translation]
These efforts are all critically important, and I want to thank the members of the committee for inviting me here to discuss them further today.
We are ready to answer your questions.
Minister, it's great to have you here.
Chair, it's nice of you to show up. Thanks.
Voices: Oh, oh!
Mr. Kelly McCauley: I have some relatively simpler items than in the past.
My first question—you can get back to us on this—relates to the question I asked this week and last week about split contracts. Order Paper question 364, which we asked, showed hundreds and hundreds of obviously split contracts. There was OSFI and the Auditor General's office. They were very clearly split.
Would you get back to us on what the government plan is to end the practice of the government violating Treasury Board rules to split contracts? If you could get back to us, that would be wonderful.
:
We talk a lot about this around this table, where there's confusion about the purpose.
The budget allocates the money in the fiscal framework for initiatives, and the estimates seek authority from Parliament to spend that money. The main estimates aren't meant to approve every item announced in the budget because it takes time to design the implementation plans that ensure good value for taxpayer funds.
In terms of setting a specific date for presenting the budget and the main estimates—and I know we've had that conversation before—it would unnecessarily restrict the government's flexibility to respond to global and domestic events. Look at what is happening with the war in Ukraine, which, as you know, began on February 24, just to give you an example. Therefore, new initiatives announced in the budget cannot be sufficiently developed to be included in the main estimates. Consultations are often required to prepare detailed implementation plans for review by Treasury Board and such consultations are not possible while protecting budget secrecy. Therefore, that is why we are presenting this way.
We are always very open and transparent. As you know, you can have access to many financial reports to better understand how the spending is done through our Open Government portal.
Thank you for your welcome. Indeed, I am here in place of my colleague Julie Vignola, who is listening, but who cannot be with us today.
Ms. Fortier, I am pleased to meet you. For me, you are a minister who represents the spirit of bilingualism well. You are probably the most articulate in both English and French, and it is very easy for me to understand you as a francophone.
On the other hand, this is not the case for all civil servants. We know that 81% of senior civil servants are English speakers, while 70% of new civil servants are English speakers. There is a disparity on this side. Wouldn't it be logical for the proportion of francophones among new civil servants to be the same among senior civil servants?
Why are only 19% of senior civil servants francophones, while at the bottom 30% of civil servants are francophones?
Shouldn't the proportion be the same at the bottom and the top?
:
Thank you for your interest in official languages.
Since I am Franco-Ontarian, my mother tongue is, of course, French, and I am very proud of it. I even have the privilege, as President of the Treasury Board, of working in French with several of the francophone or anglophone members of the team, who are very proficient in both official languages. I am also very proud of that.
You know, over 40% of public servants are bilingual. So when we talk about bilingualism, we're talking about the ability to work in both official languages. I think it's important to continue to promote bilingualism and to increase the number of designated bilingual positions in the public service, as we will do in our department. I will let Ms. Girard outline some of our plans.
Assistant deputy minister positions, for example, are designated bilingual. Incumbents are therefore required to be able to work in both official languages. You can see that there is a willingness within the government to really offer, through our public servants, services in both official languages. We will also continue to improve that.
I don't know if Ms. Girard wanted to give other examples of what we do at Treasury Board.
:
I'm glad to hear it. However, in several areas, we realize that it is more difficult for citizens to obtain services in French. We also know that several public servants confirmed that things are generally done in English and that francophones are even discriminated against when they speak French: their ideas are ignored and their opportunities to progress are limited. Obviously, the statistics on this subject tend to demonstrate this fact.
French speakers tell us that there are two official languages: English and translation. This is a quip you have heard before, surely. The reason is that English speakers often fail to understand the subtleties of the arguments raised by French speakers, and I see that this is indeed the case. As a result, francophones become discouraged from making interventions in French.
So here is my question. What explains why an idea expressed in French can be ignored, even discredited, while the same idea, expressed in English, could be put forward? Can anything be done to counter this within the various departments?
:
First of all, I want to say how our government is making concrete efforts to increase the number of bilingual public servants. Efforts are being made in staffing to hire people who can provide services in both official languages.
I am also very proud that there are over 200 official languages champions in the public service who promote official languages to senior management. Of course, we are always looking for ways to increase the capacity within the various departments to provide services in both official languages.
At this time, our government is also developing a new framework for language qualification standards, for supervision and for evaluation, so that we support a culture of bilingualism in the public service. So there are a number of efforts underway by Treasury Board, among others, but also by departments.
I will let Ms. Girard add some more concrete elements to this.
:
Thank you, Minister, for being here.
We know that COVID-19 still remains present in our communities. New Democrats and I are continuing to support evidence-based health measures to protect the health of Canadians. I also encourage Canadians to continue to get the vaccine doses that they're eligible for to reduce their risk of severe outcomes.
However, some of my constituents, as you're aware, have chosen not to be vaccinated and are presently on leave from their jobs, including Canada Post workers, because of federal vaccine mandates. In March, Dr. Tam communicated to the public that the Treasury Board was reviewing federal vaccine mandates. It's been almost three months now since the public was informed of that review. In my home province, a lot of people are back to work, and in the public service as well, whom this would have affected.
I want to underscore that decisions about public health measures should be based on the most current evidence available, and transparency about such decisions is absolutely critical to maintaining public confidence.
With that in mind, when do you anticipate that the ongoing review will be completed, and when will the results be made available to the public?
:
Thank you. I'm hoping you'll come forward with some amounts soon to rapidly scale up safer supply.
In terms of the toxic drug crisis that continues to take lives of Canadians each day across all walks of life, you may be aware that legislation has recently been passed in the Ontario legislature to require workplaces, that are at risk of a worker opioid overdose, to have naloxone kits on site and within the vicinity of a worker trained in their use. Naloxone is a medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and allow time for medical help to arrive.
Has Treasury Board conducted an evaluation of the risk of opioid-related overdoses for workers employed within different sectors of the federal public service, and does Treasury Board have a policy regarding naloxone placement and training in federal workplaces?
If not, will you do that? I've had some political staffers, even from the Liberal Party, who have had opioid and substance use-related disorders, and they've cited that this wasn't on site and needs to be.
Hello, ladies.
I'm going to talk to you about the Quebec City tramway. In 2019, the Prime Minister announced in Quebec that the federal government was allocating $1.2 billion to the tram project, which was then estimated at $3.3 billion. In fact, we know that the federal government had assessed that the ridership of the Quebec City tramway was not sufficient to justify the investment of this amount. About $500 million was therefore given directly to Quebec City and an agreement was made with Montreal to take $800 million from Montreal to make up the shortfall.
Now, the Quebec government has made a request, as a cost overrun of $500 million to $600 million is already expected. Do the 2019 conditions based on projected ridership remain the same or are things different now?
I'm going to move to another topic.
At the moment we are approving spending, and there is a lot of spending. We know that your government has been spending, which is not a problem. However, I have a problem with the performance associated with the spending that is done. At the moment, we are experiencing a great deal of difficulty with airports and the issuing of passports.
There is a problem, and we are trying to determine the source of the problem. It is a staff management problem or a performance problem with situations that we think may be related to telework.
I've already asked Ms. Girard the question and she's answered it, but I'm coming back to it, because right now there's a huge amount of spending, but there's not enough output. How do you see that?
:
You're talking to me about expenses related to COVID‑19, but I'm talking to you about spending to reduce airport traffic and speed up passport issuance.
We hear about hiring additional staff, but at the same time, we know that some staff are on forced leave because they are not vaccinated.
Where is this all headed? It's all very well to vote for extra money, but if there's a problem with staff management, it's not going to get any better. The last directive on performance management was issued in 2014. Since 2014, there has been no update. It is precisely a directive that aims to monitor the performance of employees and assess the quality of management programs.
Why has Treasury Board not issued a new directive since 2014?
[Translation]
Good evening, Madam Minister.
We are very pleased to welcome you here to the committee.
I am going to talk first about a subject that is of concern to all of us and that is close to your heart, as it is to mine, and that is the issue of official languages in Canada. I am not just talking about bilingualism on a national level. We understand the importance of supporting linguistic minorities, both francophones outside Quebec and anglophones in Quebec.
Many concerns have been raised in relation to the issue of official languages in the federal government. How will Bill give more power to Treasury Board to ensure the equality of English and French within the various federal departments?
:
I think we have the same passion.
I thank you for your question and for the important work you are doing to modernize the Official Languages Act.
All parliamentarians are working on this issue, and I hope that we will be able to move forward quickly with Bill , so that this famous Official Languages Act can be modernized, after more than 50 years. This legislation should give us more ways to increase the relevance of official languages across the country.
As we know, French is in decline throughout Canada, even in Quebec. We must find ways to strengthen both of the country's official languages.
Bill will strengthen the Treasury Board's powers with respect to official languages, which will ensure compliance by federal institutions, as well as an increased monitoring, auditing and evaluation role. Before, we didn't necessarily do it formally, but now it will really give the Treasury Board the authority to do it. It's really important to continue these efforts and to clarify the role of the Treasury Board in order to strengthen official languages across the country.
With regard to the public service, I would like to mention that respecting official languages is not only an obligation of the government, but also one of its priorities. It is essential to provide services efficiently and effectively in both official languages. We are committed to providing federal services in accordance with our official languages obligations.
As I said earlier to Mr. Lemire, we will continue to increase the number of positions that will be offered in both official languages. We will continue to put in place language training programs for public servants. We even have a project for graduates and newcomers. We want to help them master both official languages and offer these services to Canadians.
A lot of effort and investment is being made, and we will continue to show leadership. With the help of all parliamentarians, we will be able to ensure that the new law is adopted. I personally hope that it will be passed soon.
You know that our government believes that those who disclose serious wrongdoings must be protected. The law provides a secure and confidential process for disclosing serious wrongdoings in the workplace and protection from acts of reprisal. Public servants' disclosures result in an average of 10 findings of wrongdoing every year.
As you know, Canada's whistle-blowing law is part of the recourse options that cover harassment, discrimination, labour grievances and privacy complaints. Our government has strengthened training, monitoring, reporting and policies on workplace harassment and violence. Budget 2022 funded the review of the act, which I'm hopeful we can launch later this year.
I hope that answers your question, MP Housefather.
:
You should never ask a question you don't want to hear the answer to.
Minister, the main estimates did not include any funding for the Law Commission of Canada, which was re‑established on May 16, 2022. Suddenly, just over $4 million in funding has been allocated to this commission in the supplementary estimates (A).
What will this money be used for?
Please reassure me, because I fear that, under the guise of public consultations, the Government of Canada will re‑establish this commission to challenge the laws of Quebec and the Canadian provinces it does not like.
What exactly will these funds be used for?
:
Thank you for your question.
Indeed, $4.3 million is included in the supplementary estimates (A). This investment, which was announced, comes from the 2020‑21 federal budget. As you said, it's for the re‑establishment of the Law Commission of Canada.
[English]
I'm sorry. All of my notes here are in English. If you allow me, I will try to answer in both official languages.
The 's mandate letter indicates that the law commission will initially focus on issues such as systemic racism in the justice system and advancing reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
Minister, welcome again to the OGGO committee. It's always a good day when you and your team join us at OGGO to testify, and thank you so much for your thoughtful responses and insights this afternoon.
Treasury Board plays an important role in gender and diversity impact reporting across government. We know that GBA+ is really important in identifying gaps, for example, in how diverse populations access key programs. It's critical for us to design better programs that have a bigger impact. We know that, during COVID, the pandemic has only really accentuated the discrepancies, for example, amongst women and diverse populations as well.
Minister, what is your reaction to the recent Auditor General's report on gender-based analysis plus?
:
As you know, we are committed to making sure we leave no one behind. This is where gender-based analysis plus policy development helps us focus on how to make sure everybody is considered in the different services and programs we offer. It is now mandatory to have GBA+ in all budget proposals, Treasury Board submissions and MCs—memoranda to cabinet. We're investing over $200 million in disaggregated data and research that will help us better understand how we can bring forward the tools we have—through Treasury Board or budget proposals, for example—to make sure we represent and leave nobody behind.
I can say that, according to the OECD, Canada is a global leader in gender budgeting. We know our work is not complete. There's always a possibility to improve. I know my colleagues around the table, especially , are providing leadership to improve GBA+. Of course, the Auditor General did a very important study. Her report gives us recommendations on how we can improve further, and we welcome these recommendations. Across government, from policy design to program delivery, we will be using her recommendations to improve GBA+.
One more thing I'd like to add is that, as you probably know, I had the privilege, in my former position as associate minister of finance and minister of middle-class prosperity, to develop a quality of life framework. That is another tool to make sure we don't look only at the GDP indicator for budget decisions or creating programs and services. We look at all the outcomes and make sure we represent well-being in our providing services to Canadians.
:
I appreciate that answer. I'm glad you pointed out that Canada is an OECD leader. Only about half of OECD countries actually incorporate GBA+ into their budgeting and policies, and even fewer are legislated to do so. I believe Canada is one of a handful of countries that does this, so I really appreciate your highlighting our leadership role in that, globally.
I want to now switch gears.
We know that racialized individuals, especially Black Canadians, are among those who are really disproportionately impacted by mental health struggles due, for example, to their lived experiences of systemic racism.
Could you speak to what the government is doing to support the mental health of Black public servants in government?
As you probably know, in my mandate letter, I am working—our government is committed to this—to support a more inclusive workplace for Black public servants. As you probably also know, in budget 2022, over $3.7 million is dedicated to Black-led engagement, design and establishment of a mental health fund for Black federal public servants. That will be a game-changer for our public service.
We are having consultations with Black employees, experts and mental health service providers that will inform the design of this new fund. The engagement process is expected to be completed this fall or winter, hopefully, and will inform options for implementation. It will also complement other measures we've taken, like legislation, support and development programs, outreach and, as I said earlier, disaggregated data.
We've now finished our second round. The minister has been with us a little over an hour. I appreciate her being here, as we always do. I've learned that, over the last 24 hours, we've had weather issues, mechanical issues, equipment problems and personnel issues that sometimes change time frames, timelines and so on.
If the minister wishes to stay with us for a bit longer, we're more than happy to have her. We will only be going one more round, which will be roughly 25 minutes. Recognizing the minister's time, if she wishes to stay, I would appreciate it.
:
Thanks, everyone, for sticking around.
Would you be able to provide us a breakdown—I've asked previously about this—for the money in Bill , Bill and the supplementary estimates (C)s for the duplicated funding request for the rapid tests? Just provide it for the committee. I don't need it right now.
In the supplementaries, there's $823 million for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. In the supplementary (A)s it mentions it's for disasters, etc., over the last 10 years. I'm curious why it's in the supplementary (A)s now for items going back 10 years? What would it be addressing?
A lot is going on at this current time because the health and safety guidance was last updated on May 12 and it now allows us to return to full occupancy of the buildings with, of course, ensuring that we apply all of the necessary preventive measures such as wearing a mask if you don't have the two-metre distance or handwashing, sanitizing, and so on and so forth. Now that we have a green light to return to occupancy, deputy heads are currently assessing and testing various models of flexible work, because there is more than one approach. We know that, for an employer such as the Government of Canada, which is the largest and and is also extremely diverse and complex in its operations, one model won't address the needs and won't allow us to provide the quality of service to Canadians that is required.
Because we're all starting new on this endeavour of a flexible workplace, we are currently testing, and the office of the chief human resources officer is gathering some data and information and providing useful tools to departments to undertake those models. In the coming months, we'll assess the successes and the best practices. If all goes well, let's hope that in the fall we can benefit from those lessons learned and give ourselves a more consistent pace.
:
On that front, there's a whole suite of initiatives that is currently under way. Across departments, we have developed mentorship programs. We have also developed recruitment strategies to make sure that we attract and retain talent in the public service.
We also work very closely with the Privy Council Office on the call to action on anti-racism, equity and inclusion. In budget 2022, you have an announcement of $3.7 million over five years to make sure that we also undertake the consultations that we were referring to with various groups but particularly with Black employees. We are bringing forward an approach that the communities have asked for, which is nothing for us without us. We're putting in place consultation and engagement with the communities that will put them at the heart of the solutions that are being brought forward by the administration.
Finally, I would like to also speak to the “nothing without us” initiative by the accessibility office to hire 5,000 new public servants with disabilities by 2025.
I could go on, but I will stop here.
Ladies, you're free to tell me who is best suited to answer my question.
In the supplementary estimates, the Department of Finance is requesting $191.6 million in vote 1a as a Net Profits Interest for the Hibernia offshore oil project for the year 2021. This is called a Net Profits Interest in an offshore oil project.
How does this grant allow the Canadian government to preserve the environment, to ensure carbon neutrality and to participate in saving the only planet we have?
Indeed, at this stage, we are taking note of everything we have learned from Phoenix. We remain absolutely determined to pay employees correctly, making as few mistakes as possible, although it must be recognized that, in an organization as large as the government, there are always adjustments to be made.
However, until now we have not been looking at these types of problems, but rather at systemic problems. We have taken note of the lessons learned. We are working with the successful supplier to see how such a complex organization can simplify its payroll activities as much as possible. In fact, this is the result of decades of additions. We need to simplify things so that we don't ask the system to do complex things—
The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is requesting $823 million under vote 5 for the disaster financial assistance arrangements contribution program that was announced in budget 2021. This funding would be used to address costs incurred by provinces and territories for large-scale natural disasters that occurred over the last decade. The eligible expenses include emergency services, security measures, repairs to public buildings and infrastructure, cleanup, as well as businesses and farms.
I think it is important. We've seen the government help out with forestry, agriculture, climate mitigation and disasters, but they have done nothing for fishers. They shut down 60% of the fishery on the north coast in British Columbia and abandoned those fishers. Why is fishing not included in this fund? Will it be?
:
I just want to relay that a warming ocean is having a huge impact on wild salmon. Lee Sylvia, a constituent of mine from Parksville, has no EI and no eligibility for EI. These fishers have been abandoned. They need help from the Treasury Board.
The Department of Citizenship and Immigration is requesting $247 million under vote 1 for operating expenses, grants and contributions for immigration settlement measures, temporary accommodations and income support for Ukrainians. This funding would be used for initial costs of the special immigration measures for Ukrainian refugees, including charter flights, temporary hotel accommodations, application processing, settlement and transitional financial support programs.
Can you talk about how many Ukrainians would benefit from this funding, and also would additional funding be allocated to Afghan refugees?
:
It's interesting, because we don't have any yet. We are providing guidance and support to test the different models. It's more flexible on a fixed date and on site, in the workplace, depending on the mission and operations.
I'll just mention this: within a bargaining unit, there are employees who work in different departments. If some employees have to work with a different security clearance, they may be in the same group and at the same classification level, but the operational requirements of the job will mean that one person will be able to work more or less remotely, for example, but that it will be more difficult for the other.
This is where we say that there can be no one-size-fits-all solution. Each department is currently evaluating the formula that works best in its organization.
:
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome back. You were dearly missed.
Thank you to the minister and the officials for joining us today.
I'm going to put my question to Mr. Wagner.
Mr. Wagner, if you're not the right official to respond to this, please redirect to your other colleagues who are here.
I, specifically, want to talk about the strategic policy review. There have been many interpretations around what the scope of this review is and there are also many various points of view. We've had points of view around rationalizing the size of the government or, as the minister said, this is not about a smaller government, necessarily, it's about a much smarter and efficient government.
I understand that the scope of the TBS and the responsibility of TBS is always to ensure the best use of, naturally, taxpayers' money while making sure that the operation of the government is very efficient. This is one of the reasons that I decided to join OGGO with my background as a management consultant. I really understand and I really embrace the work that OGGO is doing.
Can you explain how the strategic policy review, as introduced in the budget, will work towards a smarter government that runs more efficiently?
:
Thank you, Mr. Jowhari.
With that, I would like to thank our witnesses today for being with us for the whole time: Madam Boudreau, Ms. Girard, Ms. Cahill, Mr. Wagner, Mr. Greenough, who I saw in the last second or so, Ms. Tattersall and Ms. Lahaie. I appreciate all of you for being with us today. Thank you for that.
I would like to thank Mr. Jowhari, vice-chair, for filling the position of chair to start the meeting.
As well, I'd like to thank the interpreters and our technicians for all the work they're doing and also our analysts.
Also, as you may have noticed, we have a third clerk here who is filling in for us because our clerks have so many different tasks to do.
Thank you, Alexandre, for being with us.
Thank you. With that, I declare the meeting adjourned.