Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, gentlemen, for your testimony and sharing your expertise with us this morning.
Mr. Cornelius, given that the Foodgrains Bank is a faith-based organization, I guess being agnostic is something that's pretty rare for you. But I'm a little confused because I read a report by QMI Agency, which I think was taken from a press release issued by the Foodgrains Bank last week, the subtitle of which is “Foodgrains Bank supports amalgamation”, and it goes on to read:
At the Foodgrains Bank we support this legislation. It will guide the amalgamation of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) into the new department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.
You're quoted as saying:
We are pleased that reducing poverty in developing countries is clearly specified as a responsibility of the Minister for International Development, and that the legislation puts the Minister on equal footing with the Minister for International Trade. We are also pleased that the Department’s vital responsibility for providing humanitarian assistance during crises is specified.
I take it the hairsplitting is that you're agnostic on whether the amalgamation is the right thing to do but you think the legislation we're looking at today does a good job of putting forward the amalgamation or bringing together the two departments so they can continue to address Canada's priorities with respect to international development. Is that correct?