Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome.
It's Thursday, December 1, 2016. This is meeting number 38 of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts,
I remind everyone that we are televised today, and I would encourage you to shut your cellphones off or mute them so that they aren't disrupting the meeting later.
This afternoon we are beginning our hearings on the fall 2016 reports of the Auditor General of Canada. Appearing before us this afternoon, we have from the Office of the Auditor General, Mr. Michael Ferguson, the Auditor General of Canada. He's accompanied by a number of his principals: Gordon Stock, Carol McCalla, Jean Goulet, and Richard Domingue. They are all available to respond to questions from members on our committee.
I invite our Auditor General, Mr. Michael Ferguson, to proceed with his opening statement.
Welcome.