Thank you, Mr. Chair and honourable members of the committee.
My name is Stewart Wheeler. As chief of protocol of Canada, I am pleased to join the committee again today, alongside my colleagues, to help clarify the processes used by our offices to fulfill our mandates, and to reassure members of the committee of our shared commitment to the sound management of public funds.
As mentioned at our last meeting, and as I am Canada's Chief of Protocol, my office is responsible for managing the international functions of state protocol, which includes coordinating the logistics of high-level visits and related events.
In all its activities, the Office of Protocol is committed to transparency and accountability in the sound management of public funds. To that end, the expenses related to high-level visits managed by my team are systematically published in the Public Accounts of Canada.
The Governor General plays an important role in international relations by travelling on state and working visits at the request of the Prime Minister to achieve specific objectives and deliver key messages.
This is a practice that began before there were Canadian-born governors general, and it has grown over the decades since, as Canada has taken its place on the world stage. This is a practice that is a standard and vital part of international relations among all nations, where visits are exchanged among countries at the highest levels to open doors and strengthen relations between international partners.
Engagement at the level of heads of state provides an entrée for conversations that are unique and that represent an indispensable tool in diplomacy, since in many countries, they cannot be replaced by communications at the ministerial or diplomatic level.
A visit by a governor general takes place when it is considered to be the most appropriate instrument to advance specific Canadian objectives in a particular region or country. Recommendations for visits are made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister through Global Affairs Canada and the Privy Council Office.
Governor General visits strengthen relationships, advance key objectives, build bridges between peoples, reinforce Canada's image as a sovereign and unified country, and convey important messages for Canada to international audiences and interlocutors.
In coordinating these visits, the office of protocol works closely with the OSGG and, occasionally, with other departments, such as Veterans Affairs Canada when visits include military components and commemorations, for example, or Sport Canada when they include events like the Olympics or the Pan-Am Games. It always works in partnership with Canadian embassies and high commissions abroad.
Visit budgets mainly cover delegation travel, accommodation, transportation and programming expenses, as you will have noted in your review of the invoices for the visit to the gulf region. In this context, allow me to speak in a bit more detail about that specific visit.
The UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are important strategic partners for Canada in the gulf region. From a bilateral perspective, the Governor General’s visit to these countries served three core objectives. The first was to express Canada’s sincere appreciation for the extensive diplomatic and military support Canada receives from these countries, including for our evacuations from Afghanistan.
The second objective was to demonstrate the importance of these relationships through face-to-face discussions and engagement at the highest level, as well as a visit to Expo 2020 in Dubai. This included a speech at the Canada Day celebration at the Expo to the host country's leaders, representatives of Expo countries and the public on the importance of diversity and inclusion, human rights and gender equality.
The final objective was to reinforce other priority issues for Canada, including regional peace and security. We have asked all three of these countries for assistance with events and operations across the Middle East region and beyond in the past, and we will almost certainly need to rely on these partners again in the future.
In the context of the current crisis in Ukraine, this visit took on additional importance. Canada recognized the imperative of engaging key partners to build global consensus concerning Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. In all three countries, the Governor General’s discussions broadened Canada’s outreach beyond our traditional like-minded partners as the government worked to manage and mitigate the effects of the crisis across many sectors.
In conclusion, the Protocol Office is confident of its knowledge and application of the highest standards of public probity in managing its finances.
We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to refine our collaborative processes and continue to find efficiencies and savings as we deliver our important mandates.
Thank you very much. I'll be happy to answer any questions members may have.