Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Minister, and everyone else for giving us your time this afternoon. It's much appreciated.
I will focus on the estimates and the funding being requested for additional advertising. So far, $50 million worth of advertising has been allocated for the economic action plan initiatives. In these estimates we're being asked to approve an additional $13 million. On the $50 million allocated, we believe that more has been spent on advertising, but probably through different departments. It's very difficult to make that determination. In any event, we are being asked to approve an additional $13 million for the economic action plan work through the CRA finance and the Privy Council Office.
Minister, I would like you to acknowledge that as part of our job as parliamentarians it is appropriate, when asked to approve that kind of expenditure, that we ask how the money will be spent and assure ourselves that it will be spent according to the rules.