Thank you.
I now turn to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
In the document that you provided to us, we see that the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program will be reduced by 17 million dollars. You say here: “Better targeted“. I would like to know more about these investments, but I imagine that you are talking here of the 55 million dollar envelope.
I am allergic to certain terms, but I must read what my eyes see: “Refocussing of the Workplace Skills Strategy“. 17 million dollars are being cut from this program.
Mr. Moloney tells us that the program officers in Treasury Board did an evaluation; you did one also. We will come back to the guidelines later.
What tools did you use and who did you consult in determining reductions of this magnitude? I am talking here of the 17.7 and 17.6 million dollar amounts, for a total of 35 million dollars. Literacy is very important for adults. We are well aware of the problems that exist in Canada. How did you go about assessing the situation with the various stakeholders and determining that we either were not getting enough for our money, or that there was a need, to borrow from government jargon, to realize efficiency gains?
I would like to know more about the way in which you carried out this study that led the department to make these cuts.