Thank you very much, Mr. Barton, and thank you for being here voluntarily today. I appreciate it very much.
I want to start by saying that this committee has undertaken a study on outsourcing, and I think it would be a very valuable study to understand whether we spend too much money in this country on management consultants or other forms of contractors outside the civil service, and we should be doing that.
There have been allegations related to McKinsey's activities abroad. I'm sure you're going to be asked about that today. I think, again, one of the policies that the Government of Canada should be looking at is whether or not companies alleged to have committed misconduct abroad—certainly if they've been convicted—should not do business with the Government of Canada.
However, that's not why you've been brought here. You've been brought here because there are allegations being made that somehow there's an untoward relationship that has gotten McKinsey business through your—as has been characterized many times by Conservatives here and in the House of Commons—being a close personal friend of the Prime Minister.
I'm going to revisit the first question Ms. Kusie asked you.
Mr. Barton, would you consider yourself a close personal friend of the Prime Minister?