Public Accounts committee  I would have to check to see if consular services has been the subject of internal audit. I can tell you that the evaluation we did of the program...and evaluations are different from audits, as the committee knows. They don't have the same assurance element, but in many respects they're similar in that they often find the same things.

Public Accounts committee  The training will be very comprehensive. It will apply to all consular officers. You understand that the circumstance varies widely in our missions. We have some very small missions. We have countries where the ambassador is not actually resident. He or she is accredited to that country and the mission presence is not there; it's in the other nearby country.

Public Accounts committee  First, I can't comment on that whole intervening period. Secondly, Justice O'Connor's report certainly had an impact. It was a widely known. Its implications were very clear. There would have been on the ground much greater attention given by consular officers to the issues that Justice O'Connor raised.

Public Accounts committee  Management and consular officer formal training is an annual event in the department. This training program will become a formal part of that annual training. It will be going on in a few weeks. We're engaged in formal training of our outgoing heads of mission currently, last week and this week, and CO training comes immediately after that.

Public Accounts committee  I don't believe there was a targeted increase. There was no formal, purpose-oriented budget increase that I'm aware of. We could certainly.... Do you know offhand?

Public Accounts committee  That's a great question, because again it gives us an opportunity to reinforce a couple of pointers here. You're absolutely right that individuals in distress don't always know what the right avenue is, and the truth is that we are not always immediately informed. Members of Parliament, as in the case that you give, Chair, are very well aware.

Public Accounts committee  Chair, I can reassure the honourable member that this is not the intent. The point of that is the observation in the audit that those service standards have not been reviewed. We completely accept the important recommendation on documenting these visits. Again, it is by no means an excuse or evasion of that recommendation to highlight that the lack of documentation does not mean that efforts were not made by consular officials.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you for your question. I'll let Ms. Jeffrey comment, but, first, I will say that our consular officers' training is the most important and most efficient way to improve that aspect of their performance. I was about to use the word “culture”. It is a cultural issue insofar as we need to improve the discipline needed for preparing documents and evidence from the files, and all the other things we just talked about.

Public Accounts committee  I think Canadians should feel reassured as a result of this audit, the department's response to it, and the facts we have tabled about our response to Canadians in detention, which represent the highest commitment—I would say—by not only this government but any Canadian government to meet their needs and respond to their situation.

Public Accounts committee  We certainly strongly urge Canadians to do that, and I thank you for that question. Heather, you might want to add numbers.

Public Accounts committee  I think that, as the Auditor General said, we accept that finding, and in our management plan, we are putting in place measures to correct that. I think the issue of performance data is one that is fairly widespread across government. I think it's a general problem that we have of focusing on doing the task and neglecting the data systems that will allow us to track and know with precision how well we are doing.

Public Accounts committee  As a public servant, of course, I would echo that. Other countries, comparable countries like the U.K., are in the same tradition of providing consular support to their citizens under what is called the royal prerogative, the ability of the crown to act in the interests of its citizens.

Public Accounts committee  That's a very good question and—before Heather answers—it varies widely. The reasons why Canadians do not register also vary widely.

Public Accounts committee  Undoubtedly, and we could do more. If the committee permits me to take advantage of this hearing to make the case to Canadians travelling and, in some cases, to the parents of students and others travelling, I will say that this service is available in all of our missions. We believe that it is very important, particularly in places that are somewhat more dangerous to visit and in situations where they may become ill, or where there's an accident, a natural disaster, or a local crisis.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. In a strange sort of way, it's always a pleasure for me to come to public accounts. I want to thank the Office of the Auditor General for this important audit, which, as always, will enable us to improve our consular services to Canadians. As deputy minister, I also want to convey my profound respect and gratitude to consular officers at headquarters and in missions around the world for the dedication, the compassion, and the competence that they exercise on behalf of Canadians.