Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the committee for having these witnesses here today.
I thank Ms. McKay for giving us this summary of how the cards are being processed, the time it takes, and the dire situation that's going to happen with these layoffs. I have two questions, and my first question is going to be to Mr. MacKinnon, because he came all the way down here from Cape Breton and he's here as a witness today.
In my last 10 years as an MP for the area, time and again I've seen ministers come to Cape Breton and recognize and appreciate the work that's being done down there in processing these cards. Mr. MacKinnon, can you give this committee a snapshot of how and why you're so successful in processing the cards?
My second question will be, back to Ms. McKay, with these valued employees in Cape Breton as a business model, wouldn't it be a benefit for the government to keep them on full-time, especially when there's not going to be any decrease in immigrants coming to this country?