To my mind, that is one of the greatest advantages in having a relationship with a country the culture of which is different. We, as public servants, gain a lot from this relationship. It is an opportunity to learn about other cultures, especially since Canada is now a much more diverse country. When I have discussions with the Chinese, they want to know our opinion, in order to better control their way of doing things. They are very much aware of the problems that exist within their public service. They want more accountability, more measurement supervision, improved productivity and a better evaluation of this productivity, given that it is in their interest to have an honest public service reporting to the leaders. There are discussions that are different, but also similar, with regard to these matters.
On October 28th, 2010. See this statement in context.