Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, General. It's good to see you again back at the committee. I always appreciated the candour of our discussions in the past.
Steve, it's good to see your again. I know we spoke last week, and it's great to have you in front of the committee as anticipated.
I want to start by focusing on the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report.
The situation within Veterans Affairs and the increase in the backlogged cases didn't happen as a result of COVID. We saw a trend even before COVID hit that indicated an increase in these cases. Within the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, he spoke specifically about how a lot of these backlogs could be reduced and, in some cases, even eliminated.
Based on his report, can you indicate to me whether you're in agreement with his assessment or not?