Yes, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Members of the committee, good afternoon. Thank you for this opportunity to appear before the public accounts committee and, through you, to report to Canadians on the actions the agency I lead has taken to implement the recommendations of the Auditor General in her report to Parliament.
I will use my brief time to update you first on recovery efforts and then on how the financial management systems within the Office of the Correctional Investigator have been improved to prevent the abuses and wrongdoings reported by the Auditor General from happening again.
At the request of the Minister of Public Safety, my office is leading the process to confirm and recover funds that have been, or may have been, improperly paid to the former Correctional Investigator. During the last four months, my office has established an advisory committee, co-chaired by the Comptroller General of Canada and me, to guide the office in its recovery efforts. We've retained the services of a senior litigator to support the recovery process, and we've begun the verification process of the audit's findings and conclusions.
The due diligence legally required in this instance is a separate validation process to ascertain any amounts that may be owed by Mr. Stewart. This must be done independently from the analysis and conclusions of the Auditor General. My office is also fully cooperating with the RCMP.
While this recovery process may seem slow and frustrating, the need for swift and clear action following apparent breaches of trust must be balanced by the need for reliable due process.
I was concerned when first briefed on the findings of the initial audit, upon my appointment in April 2004. That's almost three years ago, and long before the Auditor General's final report was tabled, I initiated the strengthening of the financial and human resources management practices within the office.
Following the release of the Auditor General's report in November, my office worked with the Office of the Comptroller General to secure the services of an interim senior financial officer. He was contracted to review and further improve the new management policies and procedures already in place and to advise on how best to respond to the Auditor General's broader recommendations.
Today, our interim senior financial officer confirms that the processes now implemented at the Office of the Correctional Investigator represent prudent and effective practices for a small agency.
My office is also working with central agencies on the development and application of appropriate government-wide policy or procedural changes aimed at strengthening agency accountability. I'm proud of the commitment and diligence with which my office has responded to the Auditor General's report, all the while continuing to perform the important work legislated to it by Parliament.
In addition to investigating individual complaints, the Office of the Correctional Investigator also addresses broader systemic issues and corrections to improve the outcomes for inmates and ultimately to contribute to public safety. Since April 2004, the agency's work in this regard has focused on improving health services for inmates with mental illness, closing the outcome gaps for aboriginal inmates, and better accountability in women's corrections.
Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.