National Defence committee  Thank you. I think the question, Madam Chair, and the example I gave, are very specifically about formal allegations that have been brought to bear by a complainant. I would distinguish here between that situation and issues of unfounded rumours. When we conduct an investigatio

National Defence committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. To answer the more specific question, it is up to a minister. I'm being careful here in that a Governor in Council appointee can be a CEO of a Crown corporation or a head of a tribunal. It can be any number of those sorts of positions. The information tha

National Defence committee  Thank you. I think the question is this: “Who would be aware at cabinet?” I think that while an investigation of particular allegations against a GIC appointee is under way, that information is closely held in the sense that we are working to ensure procedural fairness to protec

National Defence committee  Can I answer?

National Defence committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. It isn't something that would necessarily be discussed by all of cabinet. As I mentioned, it is up to the responsible minister to make recommendations following an investigation about a particular case. I think you're asking when and how people will becom

National Defence committee  I would say, I think, that as my colleague mentioned, every case is unique. If there is a situation in which allegations are made and there is a danger to someone in the workplace, if there is a situation in which the workplace is under duress in some shape or form, if I can us

National Defence committee  Thank you. I would just clarify that the PCO's role with respect to other departments and complaints or issues of harassment and the role that I, in particular, carry out in support of the Prime Minister and other ministers is about the Governor in Council appointees, not genera

National Defence committee  I would say that with respect to a Governor in Council appointee—if there were a case of a GIC appointee—within a portfolio of a department, we would work with them, yes. Our role, in terms of managing GIC appointees in a general way, ultimately would be that we would want to su

National Defence committee  Absolutely. Thank you, Madam Chair. Ms. Tremblay, do you want to answer this question?

National Defence committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Like all federal departments, the Privy Council Office, as an employer, takes the importance of a safe workplace for our employees very seriously. We do have a broader role as well, in terms of my own responsibilities in respect of Governor in Council ap

National Defence committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. I would say that the information we would have is personal information. It is nothing that could be spoken about here. It is our obligation, as my colleague noted, to be respectful of the Privacy Act and the confidentiality of the processes and informatio

National Defence committee  Well, I think as mentioned, I believe the issues that have been reported in the press are, you know, reported in the press. The facts, on which the Privy Council Office response is based, are that we did not have information at that time that would have allowed us to take any act

National Defence committee  We—

National Defence committee  If I may, Madam Chair, the allegations that I believe are being spoken about came to light, as the minister commented, I think, in his recent testimony, only a couple of weeks ago. So I think the comment by me and the Privy Council Office in terms of the information that has been

National Defence committee  In respect of the allegations that you were asking about that have recently arisen?