Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Mr. Ramsay for his valuable input through this process. We've spent a lot of time debating these issues back and forth. We don't always agree on all the points, but I think we have the same interest and that's in seeing effective program and service delivery rolled out and delivered in regions and that's exactly what Mr. Ramsay is talking about.
I'm having to be a little more patient because I think that one of the things that I recognized early when we talked about all the kinds of changes and all the kinds of things this new organization can do, was that if you try to bundle all of those things into an organizational change there's a lot of uncertainty, it's very difficult. The most effective way I felt for us to get this accomplished was to start with changing the headquarters' organization and let the regions flow from that. The last thing we wanted was people who currently access our program or have loans or grants with one of our organizations to be concerned and not know where their services would be coming from, not know who they spoke to about their loan, not know where to go. If there was wholesale change, it had the real potential to derail a lot of businesses that are now starting to pick up steam. So we want the same things and, as I've said, this is enabling legislation and the service delivery will evolve and will improve and I think that will start with the program and service review that the board undertakes.
I'll just touch on a couple of points because Mr. Ramsay has taken the time to lay them out. I do intend to involve committee in the development of new programs. Regs flow from those new programs and I think it's important and this is why we've had some discussion around it. I think I understand correctly that committee really wants to be involved in substantial changes or in new program development. I'm sure there are policies and organizations such as last person out the door turns off the coffee pot, and I don't think that's the kind of thing that the committee is interested in being bogged down with. We're talking about the real meat of our programs and service delivery and I appreciate that and I certainly intend to involve committee.
Some discussion around whether or not the employees were best suited in or out of the public service; I guess on balance, given the additional costs and delays that would have come from moving them outside of the public service, I chose to really advocate that the more important issue was how the CEO was selected. There's no denying that it's still government money funding this organization, and on this point I think that on balance this is the right decision, but I do appreciate that there are different points of view on this. So as I've said, the program and service review is forthcoming. I think it will allow us to lay out a lot of the issues that Mr. Ramsay has talked about, and I look forward to that. Thank you.