Mr. Chair, thank you for inviting me to appear before this committee.
Before I take the committee's questions, it's important for me to outline my roles and responsibilities as director of communications for the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development as outlined in “Policies and Guidelines for Ministers' Offices”.
The director of communications for a cabinet minister is responsible for many things, including: providing strategic planning and communications advice to the minister; leading comprehensive communication plans on behalf of the minister; consulting regularly with the Prime Minister's Office in order to better coordinate government-wide communication; overseeing and coordinating with the department the development of communications initiatives to ensure that they are consistent with the minister's objectives and the government's mandate; establishing and maintaining a professional relationship with the media; and being the leading official spokesperson for the minister.