Good morning.
Mr. Chair and honourable members of the committee, I am pleased to join you today to assist in your study and consideration of expenses related to the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General for the representation activities abroad.
My name is Melanie Kwong, and I am the director general of major events, commemorations and capital experience at the Department of Canadian Heritage. My department has a statutory responsibility for state ceremonial and Canadian symbols, as laid out in the Department of Canadian Heritage Act.
State ceremonial consists of Canadian practices for planning, organizing and conducting official or public ceremonies involving dignitaries.
The State Ceremonial and Protocol Directorate of the Department of Canadian Heritage performs this official function for the Government of Canada. Its mandate is to promote and protect our national symbols, provide expertise on national protocol matters and play a leading role in state events at the national level.
State events organized by Canadian Heritage take place in Canada. Examples include the installation ceremonies of governors general, state funerals, national commemorative ceremonies and other events of national significance.
Canadian Heritage’s financial responsibilities in relation to governors general is limited to the period between when governors general designate are appointed and when they are sworn in. This responsibility includes the coordination and execution of the installation ceremony and can also include covering travel costs to the United Kingdom to meet with the sovereign prior to an installation ceremony.
In most cases, the Governor General designate will travel to London to be received by the sovereign shortly before taking office. Travel arrangements are made through an agreement between the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General and the Department of Canadian Heritage, which covers the costs of this official visit.
In closing, I would like to assure the members of the committee of our shared commitment to the sound management of public funds.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.