Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the minister and Ms. Biggs for being here today, and I also want to thank CIDA for the fantastic work they do on behalf of Canadians around the world. I think every Canadian can be proud of the work that CIDA does in developing countries, alleviating suffering for literally millions of people. I just want to get that on the record.
There are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of NGOs in Canada. I'm assuming that virtually every MP here has met with NGO representatives in their riding with great ideas to address human suffering. I have three questions related to the number of requests that must come into your department. I don't know what the number of requests is, but could you tell us, Minister or Ms. Biggs, how many proposals do come to your office in a given year? Is it possible for your office to approve every single submission that is given by NGOs? Finally, do you think Canadians believe that you should simply rubber stamp every one of those great applications that comes across your desk?