—or the last of his many appearances, before a parliamentary committee. I'd be remiss, colleagues, if I didn't take this opportunity to acknowledge and pay tribute and thank Mr. Lynch for his tremendous service to the public, the public service, and public policy.
Perhaps some of you aren't aware that he joined the public service in 1976. He's had successive roles. He spent five years as the Deputy Minister of Industry. He spent four years as the Deputy Minister of Finance. And when the present Prime Minister was elected, he chose Mr. Lynch to be the Clerk of the Privy Council. That's the position he has held over the last three years.
I've watched his career, and I've actually known Mr. Lynch from before I was even elected. He's been involved in transformative issues, such as the research and science agenda of the government, straightening out the country's finances, and the Canada Pension Plan. As Clerk of the Privy Council he's been involved with the Afghan conflict. As he's indicated, he's led the whole renewal of the public service over the past three and a half years. Again, it's a tremendous credit. He really exemplifies the role of a non-partisan, competent public servant, which, in my opinion, gives the country of Canada a comparative advantage. We're fortunate to have that.
So I suspect, Mr. Lynch, that your career is not over. You will resurface somewhere else, and we'll certainly be watching with interest.
But again, in closing, on behalf of every member of Parliament, I want to thank you for your tremendous contribution, and we wish you all the best in the future.