Sure.
First let me note that I agree that putting CIDA out of business is a great goal. There are many development organizations that have as their motto “Putting ourselves out of business”.
I do think, though, that the opposition is deeply concerned about poverty alleviation, and I applaud them. I wish that the honourable MP for Laurier—Sainte-Marie were here. She would be able to comment from her time in Chile and elsewhere. I know they're deeply concerned about poverty alleviation. It's simply a matter of the most efficient and effective means of achieving it. I believe this is both more efficient and more effective, that it will do more good and be able to do more in terms of development.
It's the difference between methods and goals. We all agree about the importance of poverty alleviation, and we all have that as a priority.
In terms of conversations with CIDA, if I took exhibit A, I would need another couple of pages to talk about the decks and presentations to CIDA and the Department of Foreign Affairs on this issue. If you look at exhibit B, from the last conference, we used our own money to bring up the leading experts from Washington, the IDB, USAID, and the Prince of Wales business leaders forum to meet with CIDA and DFAIT to talk about these issues. Most of the papers you see listed there were done with money from CIDA. So time and time again, we've been to CIDA. We've done presentations for staff, senior to junior. We've done decks. We've discussed the reports.
I have had three phone calls from CIDA over the past six years, each of which has started with, “Hi, Carlo. My name is.... I've just been handed the task of looking at how CIDA can work with the private sector, and someone said I should talk with you.” And I say, “Well, great. I'm happy to talk. Have you seen all the work we've done on the issue, the papers, the reports? Have you talked with other people inside CIDA?” The response has always been, “No.” So I ship it over. It takes several e-mails. You can't send the stuff in one e-mail. It takes five or six or ten e-mails because they're so large.
Three years later I get another phone call: “Hi, Mr. Dade. My name is.... I'm at CIDA. I've just been assigned to look into how CIDA can work with the private sector and was told I should talk with you.” And I say, “Well, did the last guy give you the...?” The answer's always been...“No”.
Luckily the last person with whom I had this conversation is still at CIDA. Thank God he's still there and he's still working on the issue. So I'm hopeful that this time it's finally taken.