Mr. Chairman, may I just say how very disappointed I am to note that the prospective appointee to the position of Director of the Canada Council is not here today. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister had impressed upon us the urgency of dealing with this matter today, given that the position was vacant.
Moreover, at the last meeting, we discussed at considerable length the fact that we would be holding a very limited number of meetings before the summer adjournment—six in all, if I'm not mistaken. The fact that this person isn't here today is a deep disappointment to me. It shows a lack of respect. I'm an understanding person, but we've not be informed of the reasons for this absence. We were simply told that this person was unavailable. I find it rather odd that a person vying for this position could not find the time to meet with us today, as scheduled.
I just wanted to state my position for the record. Thank you.