In terms of the process that was followed in accordance with Treasury Board rules, I can tell you that we were required to complete a report before launching the system. The third party who produced that report was the firm S.i. Systems. The firm concluded that the benefits of launching Phoenix outweighed the risks of delaying its implementation.
As you pointed out, Phoenix's launch was delayed because problems identified in the fall had to be resolved. When it was presented to the deputy ministers committee in late January, there were still problems, but they were not deemed to be critical. I believe there were 124, but I think the existing system had somewhere around a thousand. It was determined at that time that mitigation measures had been taken.
Mr. Deltell, as a side note, I would point out that one of the challenges we faced with this project was the fact that each of the measures was analyzed separately. Take, for example, the 124 problems that were identified at a given point in time. Whenever flaws were detected, mitigation measures would be taken, but no one had a holistic view of the project or the risks involved. I would say the compound risks weren't properly assessed at that point.