Good morning, everyone. It's Thursday, June 16, 2016, and this is meeting number 21 of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
I would remind everyone that again today we are televised. Your cellphones, iPads, or whatever might sound when they receive a message, if you would turn them down or mute them, that would be great.
Today we are conducting a hearing on VIA Rail Canada Inc., as a Special Examination Report of the Spring 2016 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada. Appearing before us today, we have from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, Maurice Laplante, the assistant auditor general, and René Béliveau, principal.
From VIA Rail Canada, we're pleased to have Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, the president and chief executive officer; Patricia Jasmin, the chief financial officer; Jane Mowat, lead director and chairperson of the audit and finance committee; and Bruno Riendeau, director, safety and environment, risk management and corporate safety.
We will also have an opening statement from the assistant auditor general, Monsieur Laplante, and then a statement from the president and CEO of VIA Rail.
I would also tell the committee that we're going to reserve the last 15 minutes or 20 minutes for committee business. We have some items that have come out of the steering committee that met yesterday.
To our guests as well, this morning I will table a report in the House, so when I leave, Ms. Mendès will take the chair. As a courtesy, I wanted you to know that it's not what you said that is the reason I'm leaving, but it's to table the report.
First of all, I would invite the assistant auditor general, Monsieur Laplante, to make his opening statement, please.