Thank you. Yesterday, Ms. Snider, in answering a question about why she did not sign one of the termination contracts, I believe indicated, and this is not a direct quote, but I believe she indicated something to the effect "I did not have the delegated authority to sign the contract." In a return to an oral question made by Minister Handley as the Minister of Finance, he indicates:
As the Minister for the public service, I have sole authority and responsibility to manage the public service in a manner consistent with the Public Service Act. Many of the authorities have been delegated to deputy ministers.
Apparently, the ability to sign a contract, a termination contract of this nature, was outside of those authorities that had been delegated. Is there somewhere that we can see what levels of authority have been delegated to deputy ministers? There must be some policies, some regulations that clearly indicate what is inside and outside the delegated authority. For instance, just as an example, if there is a termination contract signed that allows for more severance to be paid than is indicated expressly in the terms of the contract, is that something that falls inside or outside the deputy's delegated authority? Is there somewhere we can see that?