Natural Resources committee  Mr. Chair, I was in attendance on the call, as were three other members of my executive team at NRCan.

Natural Resources committee  Yes, the minister conducted himself in an entirely professional way. He was obviously seized by the urgency of the situation, but he was canvassing Ms. Keen for information on the earliest possible date on which the commission could be convened to hear the case on the status of AECL's safety case, and information as well on the overall safety of the reactor--that is, before the shutdown and as well in the case that one pump might be reconnected.

Natural Resources committee  That is correct.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. During the period between November 22 and November 29 we had no certainty as to the duration of the shutdown. It was characterized as temporary, so it was seen at that time as not contributing to the kind of situation that we realized after November 30. That is the reason that information was not brought to the attention of the minister.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would just add that the appointment of the chair and president of CNSC is a senior appointment. We certainly received input from the justice department and PCO on the crafting of that letter.

Natural Resources committee  I have no knowledge of who--

Natural Resources committee  The head of senior personnel in PCO.

Natural Resources committee  Patricia Hassard.

Natural Resources committee  Mr. Chair, it's important to note that Linda Keen, in her role as chair and president, is a Governor in Council appointment. So the decision was made by the minister early yesterday morning, and I understand that it took the balance of the day to have the GIC processed and that Ms.

Natural Resources committee  Mr. Chair, I was asked by the minister to identify two independent nuclear safety experts on very short notice. It was my responsibility to identify those two. We found the two individuals through the department and through our contacts in the department. We had absolutely no knowledge of any partisan background of either of those individuals.

Natural Resources committee  Good morning, and thank you, Mr. Chair. I have with me this morning Mr. Jim Farrell, the assistant deputy minister responsible for the Canadian Forest Service. He will be joining me in answering your questions after my presentation. It's a pleasure to appear before the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss the contribution that Natural Resources Canada is making to the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the forest sector.

Natural Resources committee  Mr. Chair, I thank the member for his question. I think the question relating to the Community Development Trust is a very important one. I think it reflects the concern the Government of Canada has about the impact of the forest sector restructuring on communities. I'm probably not in a very good position to be discussing this, as it's not a program within my own department.

Natural Resources committee  I'll ask my ADM of the Canadian Forest Service to respond.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to assure the member, first of all, that we are working in very close coordination. The role of the Government of Canada in relation to the forest industry is a fairly diverse one. I want, first of all, just to assure you that we work very closely together.

Natural Resources committee  Mr. Chair, thank you for that question. I believe the only way through the current restructuring is to ensure strong partnerships. That's been the basis of our work at NRCan, to be working in very close cooperation with the provinces, with research institutes, and with the industry.