Colleagues, at this time I would like to call the meeting to order. I want to welcome everyone here. We have two items on the agenda and I wouldn't expect them to take the two hours.
The first hour we have with us Mr. Arthur Kroeger in connection with our study on the roles and responsibilities of the Treasury Board Secretariat. I want to point out that the first two chapters of the annual report of the Auditor General, which was tabled in Parliament earlier today, are very relevant and pertinent to this issue that we're studying.
Mr. Kroeger's curriculum vitae is in the briefing notes. He's had a long and, I would suggest, very distinguished career here in Ottawa. He's been a deputy minister for approximately twenty years with about six or seven different departments. This was followed by an academic career at the University of Toronto and Queen's University, and he was also for a nine-year period the Chancellor of Carleton University here in Ottawa. Of course, as we all know, Carleton named the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs in his honour.
I'm going to turn the meeting over to Mr. Kroeger for any opening remarks that he has.
At the end of the hour, colleagues, we'll then go in camera to finalize draft reports 11 and 12. I propose to table those next week.
Before we invite Mr. Kroeger to speak, Mr. Fitzpatrick, do you have your dissenting opinion to provide to us today?