I will now call this meeting to order and extend to everyone present a very warm welcome.
Colleagues, this morning's meeting is going to be on two things, so we're going to divide it in two. The first part of the meeting will be devoted to a continuation of a previous meeting on chapter 8 of the fall 2009 report of the Auditor General: “Strengthening Aid Effectiveness--Canadian International Development Agency”.
As many of you will recall, we started that meeting but because of a vote we only got into it for an hour, so the committee decided to devote another hour or an hour and fifteen minutes to the continuation of the meeting and to questions.
Because we did have opening remarks previously from the Auditor General, Sheila Fraser, who is with us now and is accompanied by John Reed, principal, she does not have opening remarks today.
From the agency, we have with us Margaret Biggs, the president and accounting officer. She's accompanied by David Moloney, executive vice-president. I believe Madam Biggs does have a revised opening statement, although one was delivered previously.
Before calling upon Ms. Biggs to deliver her opening comments, I want to point out that the second part of our meeting will be devoted to a dialogue with six or seven visiting auditors general from countries including Barbados, Guyana, Kenya, Vietnam, and Saint Lucia. Those individuals will be joining us at the table for the last 40 to 45 minutes of the session. I think we can conclude one round and then invite our visitors to the table.
We're very honoured and pleased to have the visiting auditors here. They will be more formally introduced at the start of the second phase of our meeting.
On behalf of every member of this committee and every member of Parliament, I want to extend to each member of the visiting delegation a very warm welcome to Canada and a very warm welcome to this meeting.
Without any further delay, I'm now going to call upon Ms. Biggs for her opening comments. I think we'll be able to do one full round. Then we're going to suspend and invite our distinguished guests to the table.
Ms. Biggs, the floor is yours.