Thank you.
It would just appear to me that there is this pulling together of likely one of the most complex systems that I've ever tried to understand. And $5 billion a year is a lot of money. The Auditor General is saying that it's going to take $2 billion to be spent to bring it up to speed. The Treasury Board becomes the oversight of the agencies and departments in terms of being able to bring together a coordinated, compatible...and I don't know whether the issue is hardware or software, or both.
I also hear that you as departments and as ministry representatives have made some significant changes.
Ms. Bethell, I think you had one of the greatest images, that it was like fuelling a plane in flight. Quite honestly, I think it tries to reflect to us an understanding of how this thing is just ongoing. It's a program in motion.
You say in your report, “We take our responsibilities very seriously. The EI, CPP and OAS programs represent $80 billion annually in social benefits to Canadians, representing 85% of all Government of Canada payments to citizens. These payments all rely on technology.” You say as well that “Canadians are not at risk--there have been no IT failures as a result of aging IT infrastructure.”
I'm kind of hearing, though, that this isn't what the AG is saying to us. I ask those ones because there have been similar comments by the AG, similar comments to what Ms. Bethell has made in terms of your departments, about what you're doing.
So strategically--not one time, but strategically, going out--have you been moving ahead? I think there was an initial response in the 2006 report. Has there been strategic movement since then, and have you been hampered by a lack of budget funding?
I'll start with you, Ms. Bethell, and then I would look for some comments from others.