Thank you very much.
We are very pleased to have seen this policy introduced. I think internal audit is a really critical function in any organization. Management should do their own monitoring and assessment and assure themselves that systems are working as intended and take corrective action. It shouldn't be the external auditor who is always playing that role.
Government has, over the years, put a fair bit of money into this. It has increased the requirements around the qualifications of people who lead internal audit departments and has required internal audit to be conducted. And without having done a follow-up, we have certainly seen evidence that the internal audit function in government has become more professional and is doing good work in government and that the departments are taking corrective action.
Frankly, as departments do more internal audit and we as external auditors can rely on it, we gain assurance and can perhaps reduce our work or work in tandem with them. I think it is of benefit to all Canadians.
One of the major things, too, that this policy instituted was to have departmental audit committees, so that external people who sit on committees advisory to the deputy ministers and review internal audit and external audit plans will be and are responsible for ensuring that there is follow-up on recommendations and action plans. This has brought, I think, much better accountability and rigour to the whole process of audit as well.