Thank you, Mr. Chair.
And thank you, Mr. Wouters, for your presence and for making yourself available.
I'd like to start on something that I think is fundamentally important in having this conversation. I can hear your sincere admiration for the public service. I've followed your career, and I know that it's there and it's honest, but you're in a difficult situation, because you're functioning under a government that doesn't actually respect the public service.
In fact, we've seen this time and time again from the President of the Treasury Board. Whether we're talking about pensions, or about the way affectation went forward, or sick leave, or the increased amount of psychological distress in the public service, time and time again, the government and the President of the Treasury Board have attacked the reputation of the public service.
What I find distressing about your report is how it glosses over some of these challenges. It seems to me that you do have a role to speak truth to power and to tell the President of the Treasury Board and this government that not all is rosy in the public service. I think public servants who are listening now would probably like to hear from you with regard to the day-to-day challenges they face under this government.