Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the minister. And welcome, Mr. LeBlanc.
I'm here as the critic for ACOA.
My questions have to do with long-time Conservatives being appointed to high-profile jobs with Atlantic development agencies like ACOA. They've been well documented in the media. I'm sure you've seen the media reports.
At last count, the Conservatives had hired at least 10 people with links to the party for those agencies since coming to power in 2006. It has been reported that the Public Service Commission of Canada is investigating possible connections between the Conservative government and appointments to ACOA.
My first question has to do specifically with Kevin MacAdam. For those who don't know, he is a failed Conservative candidate and a former staffer to Nova Scotia cabinet minister Peter McKay. On Christmas Eve 2010, MacAdam was appointed to the job of director general of regional operations with ACOA in Prince Edward Island. The job pays between $115,000 and $135,000 a year. Quite the Christmas gift, I guess you could say. The Public Service Commission is still investigating, or that's what I understand. We'll see where that goes.
MacAdam took the ACOA job in February 2011, but from what I understand he has yet to report to work. He immediately took leave to study French here in Ottawa for two years.
My first question specifically is this. Why isn't MacAdam taking French language training in Charlottetown, when it's offered there? There are at least three French language training schools in Prince Edward Island. How come he's not studying there?