Good afternoon, everyone.
I hesitate to bang the gavel and start, but we do have quorum and it's not fair to our guests if we don't at least hear their testimony.
I am told that we may be interrupted with votes in a few minutes. If we are, then we have another tough decision to make on whether we make our rounds of questions and invite you back in February or January, or continue. In the meantime, we want to welcome you here.
We are televised today. This is meeting number 124 of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts for Wednesday, December 12, 2018.
We are here today in consideration of “Report 1—Connectivity in Rural and Remote Areas” of the 2018 fall reports of the Auditor General of Canada.
We are honoured to have with us, from the Office of the Auditor General, Mr. Jerome Berthelette, assistant auditor general, and Philippe Le Goff, principal. From the Department of Industry, we have Mr. John Knubley, deputy minister; Lisa Setlakwe, senior assistant deputy minister, strategy and innovation policy sector; and, Michelle Gravelle, director general, audit and evaluation branch. From the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, we have Mr. Ian Scott, chairperson and chief executive officer, as well as Christopher Seidl, executive director, telecommunications, and Ian Baggley, director general, telecommunications.
We will now turn it over to Mr. Berthelette.
The bells are ringing.