Public Accounts committee  We would support any government department or agency, not just in the security community. We would support, for example, the Public Health Agency in the latest H1N1 outbreak. We would support any government department in any of its activities in any way they need.

Public Accounts committee  With respect to the secure communications project that you're referring to, I can certainly say that we were given sufficient budget, about $34 million, to create it, devise it, and implement it as a pilot, which we have done--to develop the technical specifications, to develop t

Public Accounts committee  It is basically a communications and coordination hub. It does, however, receive input from a variety of sources to coordinate and provide information. So if we were dealing with a particular incident, if there were important intelligence information, it might get that from ITAC,

Public Accounts committee  A lot of work has been done. I think there's a recognition of a need to enhance and modernize the CPC. We need to provide it with additional powers. The RCMP is very open to that. We look forward to seeing the recommendations of the Air India inquiry.

Public Accounts committee  That would be for the government to decide. But all the analysis, the options, have been set out, and the government recently said that it was awaiting the Air India recommendations.

Public Accounts committee  On your second question, sir, I don't have the precise quote you noted, but it was about independent review being proportional to the intrusion, I think, of the activities in people's lives, or words to that effect. I can say, and I believe the Auditor General recognized this in

Public Accounts committee  Yes, external review, some call it. An independent review is what others call it. Yes, absolutely, sir. I would point out, as I believe the Auditor General did as well earlier, that, for example, CSIS already has extensive independent or external review, however you cast it, thr

Public Accounts committee  Yes.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, thank you. The Government Operations Centre does not get involved in policy arrangements between any agencies, so it would not be involved per se in the MOU between the RCMP and Transport Canada. Its role is operational and it's one of information and coordination. It is t

Public Accounts committee  That's right. A few years ago, we were given a mandate to develop a system that allows for secret communications. We succeeded, with the assistance of several other departments and organizations, including the Communications Security Establishment Canada that we mentioned earlier

Public Accounts committee  My goal wasn't to imply that there is no will. I simply want to say, as the Auditor General mentioned, that choices have to be made in order to fund various projects. Now that the pilot project is finished and that the system has been properly tested and deemed operational, we ha

Public Accounts committee  I did ask that question as a matter of fact, but no one could tell me what the cost would be. I was told that it would depend on the extent of the system and the number of departments that want to use it. The more users there are, the less the cost. That is the stage which we are

Public Accounts committee  Thank you very much for your question. I should probably say that I'm not a technology expert. There are technology experts. But I won't speak to the policy for now; I'll just speak to technology. You're quite right, technology is critical. How we communicate—just in answering

Public Accounts committee  I believe it was December of 2006.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I am pleased to be here today to discuss the progress made on the various recommendations stemming from the Auditor General's status report and ongoing challenges. As mentioned by Ms. Morin, the government has made