Good morning, everyone. This is meeting number 73 of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and it's Tuesday, October 24, 2017. I will remind everyone that we are televised today.
Today we will be studying “Report 7—Fossil Fuel Subsidies” of the spring 2017 reports of the Auditor General of Canada.
As our witnesses on that topic today, we're pleased to have, from the Office of the Auditor General, Mr. Michael Ferguson, Auditor General of Canada, as well as Andrew Hayes, principal. From the Department of Finance, we welcome Mr. Andrew Marsland, senior assistant deputy minister, tax policy branch, and also Maude Lavoie, director, business income tax division, tax policy branch. From the Department of the Environment, we have Mr. Stephen Lucas, deputy minister, and Mr. Derek Hermanutz, director general, economic analysis directorate, strategic policy branch. From the Privy Council Office, we have Mr. Paul Shuttle, counsel to the Clerk of the Privy Council.
I understand that the two departments have opening statements, but we will begin with our Auditor General.
The floor is yours, sir.