Thank you, Madam Chair.
And thank you for being here today.
I understand that using this $163 million for other subsidies and payments was unusual and that therefore the budget from 2008-09 and 2009-10, which we don't have the specific numbers for, and the numbers projected for 2010-11 are actually relatively similar.
I have two comments. First, I am still not at all clear where such an extraordinary amount of money just lumps into being “Other subsidies and payments”. At some point, I would be very interested in having the details on that. That's a big number to just come under “other”. And we're not at all clear that this sort of thing might not happen again. If there is a freeze, there's no guarantee that a freeze wouldn't also have to include unusual circumstances, and other things would actually have to then be cut from an operating budget.
I would also point out that there are a number of departments that have had significant increases over the last two years, so on a relative basis, CIDA has had less than other departments in terms of an ability to do what it does.
I am very proud of the fact that Canada has a history of thoughtful diplomacy and balance such that we have been able to in fact involve ourselves in development in ways that may have been easier or better for us to do because of that general impression we've made internationally. Anybody can write a cheque. And we're awfully proud, as Canadians, that we are very fortunate to be as affluent and as advanced as we are. I'm proud of the fact that we've tried to do something. But it's not just about writing a cheque. I am concerned that these decreases in CIDA's budget over the last two years, and then a freeze, are indicative of a reduction in that Canadian effort.
Having said all that, do you have any analysis, so far, of where you are going to deal with the freeze? When you have inflation, which we expect will increase somewhat, and economic growth, which we know will happen, and population growth, a freeze is not a freeze; it is a cut. You are going to have to cut certain things to address the freeze.
Of those things CIDA does that we feel are important, what are you planning on cutting?
I know you said that we are already engaged in efficiencies. That's all wonderful, but it's not going to actually deal with the numbers we're talking about. I'd also argue that if you've already done it, you have that much less room to actually improve even more.
What's the analysis? Where are you going to end up having to cut?