Information & Ethics committee  It is. It is absolutely common. I wouldn't say it's the default, but it is common. We have a vibrant civil society sector, voluntary sector, in this country. The support to women's shelters, the support to food banks, the support to long-term care facilities and other mechanisms

Information & Ethics committee  I believe so, but officials at ESDC would have to provide that detail.

Information & Ethics committee  I did.

Information & Ethics committee  No.

Information & Ethics committee  I don't know specifically, but as I've indicated, at one point, for the scale of what was being sought—the number of placements, for example, and the need to reach disadvantaged youth and so on—the program had not reached such a level of maturity that it was going to be able to h

Information & Ethics committee  Well, there was analysis provided about the ability of other options to deliver, and given the facts of the case, the issue for ministers essentially would have come down to “Do we proceed with this program or not?”

Information & Ethics committee  To deliver this program at that stage under those contingencies, yes.

Information & Ethics committee  I believe that material is included in what we've undertaken to provide. If further information is sought, we would be responsive to that.

Information & Ethics committee  I'm not with him when he does his reading, but based on his performance and that of all his predecessors, I would say yes.

Information & Ethics committee  That, I think, is very much attributable to the circumstances that we faced. The head of a government will, I think—and I can't provide details off the top of my head—often indicate that a government will do something about such-and-such a problem. The government, in this period

Information & Ethics committee  That was the reasoned opinion of the officials at the department responsible.

Information & Ethics committee  As the committee said, they were officials at Employment and Social Development Canada, including the—

Information & Ethics committee  Yes.

Information & Ethics committee  Ms. Wernick was identified as being responsible, and she presented the facts to the committee.

Information & Ethics committee  Well, I think, Chair, that Ms. Telford indicated to the finance committee that she raised the question of wanting to be absolutely certain that this was done in an appropriate way and everything was above board, given the relationship, the history, that the Prime Minister had. Th