Good morning to all, and welcome to the meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(g), our order of reference today is chapter 2, “Selecting Foreign Workers Under the Immigration Program”, of the fall 2009 report of the Auditor General of Canada.
Our witnesses today are Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General; Richard Flageole, Assistant Auditor General; Suzanne Therrien, principal; Janice Charette, deputy minister, from HRSD; Andrew Kenyon, director general, temporary foreign workers directorate; Neil Yeates, deputy minister, Citizenship and Immigration; Les Linklater, assistant deputy minister, Citizenship and Immigration; and Claudette Deschênes, assistant deputy minister operations.
Prior to hearing prepared statements from our witnesses, I would like to draw the attention of the committee to a retirement from the Auditor General's office. We had one last week. Sincere thanks and gratitude for a number of years in service were expressed. Today I've been advised that Richard Flageole will be leaving and going off into the land of happy, blissful retirement status. I'm sure he will be otherwise occupied, with his energy and ambitions, as of Monday, after 35 years with the office. It's a tremendous accomplishment.
I've been told that his first hearing was on immigration. Here we are today, 35 years later, and we are still on immigration, albeit with some different timely results, I am sure, but always with investigation and contributions made by all. So let's give a wonderful reception and expression of gratitude to Richard.
[Applause]
Now I will call on our witnesses, starting with Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General.
Your opening statement, please.