Thank you.
And I thank all of you for being here.
I have essentially two questions, and they're for CFIA.
You have given us some information about the number of inspectors. A release was issued by the Agriculture Union this morning. In light of that, I'm going to ask you a question.
They estimate there were more inspectors working in the non-slaughter meat establishments before the Maple Leaf Foods outbreak than the number of inspectors CFIA estimates are required today. Prior to the outbreak, there were approximately 220 inspectors who devoted the vast majority of their working day to CVS--compliance verification system--tasks in these meat establishments. Today, CFIA estimates it needs only 155 FTE inspectors to cover the same territory. Even adding the FTEs for non-CVS work—and you know all that jargon—the total would still fall short of staffing levels before the outbreak.
You've given us some numbers, and I don't know whether they tally. I just quoted from the press release that came this morning.
This is a very serious allegation, if it's true. Could you please respond with specific data—not with what you might have thought this morning or yesterday, but with very specific data—to the statement from the Agriculture Union?