Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Ryan, thank you for joining us this afternoon.
I too would like to start by saying a few words about Mr. Jason Jacques, who has done a tremendous job over the last year or months as the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer is defined as someone who's neutral, non-partisan and independent. Moreover, the PBO must help senators and MPs in their work. Over the last few months, Mr. Jacques did a fantastic job to deliver on this with great skill.
To follow up on what my colleague just said, whether it's someone in the private sector or, for example, MP political staffers, when you have someone competent who meets the expected criteria, you keep them. Therefore, you'll understand, Madam Chair, that I was a bit surprised when the government decided not to renew Mr. Jason Jacques for another term. Maybe it's because he showed some courage—