Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to come back to Mr. Lake's question, because it is something that I was also wondering about. I am referring to the auditor general's current or future report on your performance.
Did the increase in passport applications have any effect on the completion of your other projects? That is my first question. You would like to redeploy the Passport Canada offices through Service Canada. I have news for you, because Service Canada close down a number of offices in my region. And that is not the end of it. For example, Service Canada centralized its offices in Rimouski. But New Richmond is 400 kilometres away, and Gaspé is another 300 kilometres past New Richmond. So closing some offices and centralizing Service Canada in various locations will cause another problem.
You mentioned Canada Post. There is, of course, a post office located in every city. I understand that. However, how will the level of service compare to what is provided by Service Canada and the post office? That is another matter. I don't think the level of service will be the same, because there will not be a passport office and a passport officer in every post office. I don't see how that can be done.
Was your redeployment delayed? What are your current plans? Do you intend to take one year or two years to accomplish it? How long do you think it will take to redeploy Passport Canada offices through Service Canada and Canada Post? And are you taking a close look at the areas that you must serve in order to determine the locations?