Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  We would like to hire the best qualified people possible. Clearly it's in our best interests to have very highly qualified people. It's a complex environment in the food processing areas. I feel it takes people who have specialties in chemistry, microbiology, food science—a variety of disciplines—to help provide a more comprehensive approach.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Yes. Again, going back to the team approach, we would encourage inspectors to speak with their supervisors. If they believe there's something inadequate, something that may be going wrong in that plant—I believe that inspectors have sort of a sixth sense about these things—I would encourage them to talk to their supervisor.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Perhaps I could clarify a little bit. They weren't asked to meet with senior management of CFIA. They were invited to meet with Department of Justice lawyers, and that possibility would be offered to any CFIA employee asked to appear at a parliamentary committee, to receive additional information, because some of our staff don't work in the Ottawa context or in the Ottawa area.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Absolutely not. We hope these folks are here to express their personal opinion based on the environment they work in. Doing so will help further the business of this committee.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Yes, I'm located in Ottawa. I'm the associate vice-president of the operations branch with the CFIA.