Mr. Chair, I wish I could believe the minister when he says that, basically, the government has received the recommendations and will do something. Back in 1996, the Auditor General had already identified a number of shortcomings, particularly with respect to information management. She said that the agency was still having problems in that area in 2008.
When the government accepts recommendations, does it do so just to get good press, just to enhance its public image, or does it then take action to achieve the goal?
Recently, during the listeriosis saga, we learned that self-regulation had become the norm and that pilot projects had been launched. Will budget cuts make the Canadian Food Inspection Agency more efficient and capable of fulfilling its mandate?