Thank you for being here.
You are quite correct in pointing out that you are the only one at HRSDC who is accountable to Parliament, and ultimately responsible, through the House of Commons and regular elections, directly to the Canadian people. I appreciate your showing that responsibility by being here today and answering questions.
I want to examine some of the facts of this story. I'm going to read from an April 13 article in The Globe and Mail:
Asked about his handling of the file yesterday, Mr. Sparrow said “an appropriate response was provided by the department,” because the advertising campaign was under way at the time and the final cost--almost identical to the department's projection--was provided three weeks later.
Does this mean the response to the original question as to the cost of the ad campaign was made public?