Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon. Thank you for being here today.
Before I ask my questions, I do want to say that I'm a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to ask questions right after the minister's appearance on Monday. It would have been good to see what the minister said and right away have that conversation with you, but this is where we are today.
I'm going to quote the minister, just so that we're in the same space.
The minister did mention that he works “on the basis of evidence.” He said, “I'm a lawyer. I would certainly caution members of this committee to apply due process when they're looking at allegations. That's why, the moment I was made aware of allegations, we had a third party come to do a full investigation and report back to me.” I have another one. He said, “Let's be clear. Our government will always hold all organizations that receive public funds to the highest standards.” He also said, “It is integral that due process and due diligence continue to guide these next steps.” Finally, I have one more: “I also remain fully committed to exploring [the complainants'] allegations.”
That's just a refresher of what the minister said.
I would like to ask SDTC some questions. I'm not sure who will answer, but feel free to answer.
When did SDTC become aware of the alleged allegations raised by the whistle-blowers? What was your organization's initial plan and reaction to address this?