Public Safety committee  There is nothing to document it, Mr. Chairman, as to why it was not done.

Public Safety committee  Mr. Chairman, the opinion has been translated. The reliability of the translation was being checked. I did not check, before coming into this room today, if it's been done. It was a lengthy opinion and it should just about be ready, I think. So I would think it's becoming availab

Public Safety committee  Mr. Chairman, it's my understanding that the Deputy Comptroller General made the commitment yesterday that the Treasury Board would release the opinion, so I believe the opinion will be released through the Treasury Board. It can certainly be made available to this committee as w

Public Safety committee  Mr. Chairman, the decision was taken without consulting the minister. This was a management decision by officials. The amount that was in everybody's mind in 2002-03 was $10 million, not $39 million. It was $10 million because the contract was for about $32 million, payable in $1

Public Safety committee  Mr. Chairman, the decision in 2002-03 was not based on a legal opinion; it was based on a reading of what the rules called for. I think it's clear from what the Auditor General has been saying this week that it's seen as a mistake. We acknowledge it was a mistake. The context w

Public Safety committee  I don't believe so, Mr. Chairman.

Public Safety committee  Mr. Chairman, we're playing pass the microphone, but between the first accounting error and the second accounting error, the responsibility for the Canadian firearms program had left the Department of Justice and moved to a separate agency, and Mr. Baker by this time had become r

Public Safety committee  I am the current Deputy Minister of Justice. The Department of Justice was responsible for the program in 2002-03. What happened in that year was that officials acting in good faith made a mistake in interpreting the rules that apply to dealing with this expense. They actually

Public Safety committee  It was the chief financial officer, Mr. Ganim, who is with me today.

Public Safety committee  No, I don't, but thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to be here, as are my colleagues. I'm accompanied by one colleague, who I'd like to introduce, Mr. Wayne Ganim, who was the chief financial officer in the Department of Justice at the material time. I look forward to

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. I have no opening statement either. I too would like to introduce Mr. Wayne Ganim who was the chief financial officer of the Department of Justice at the relevant time. Thank you.

Justice committee  The outgoing Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Mary Gusella, made it an enormous priority during her tenure to try to reduce the serious backlog. My understanding is she made enormous strides, putting particular emphasis on the use of mediation. Given

Justice committee  We'll have to come back with a detailed explanation. Or perhaps we could invite the commissioner to come again and explain how she proposes to operate with her budget.