Thank you, Chair.
I think the letter itself is self-explanatory. It deals with the issue of discrepancies. It basically states that there was some...not disagreement, but difference of opinion between the department and the Auditor General as to the veracity of the subject. They stated the classic example right there in the second paragraph. They reduced it from 16 to 15, and then they reduced the number of operating bases from two to one. Well, obviously that is going to impact the costing. That's very clear. It is there.
I just don't see that this is a problem. I honestly don't.
If you wish to bring the Auditor General back in to say that we think this is a problem and to ask her to tell us why, then please do so, but to bring everybody back.... I certainly don't see this as a problem. The Auditor General may identify it as such, and how and why, but at that particular point she just stated that there was a disagreement in the manner in which they were assessing the information because they didn't have exact information and the pieces of information didn't complement one another with exact figures. They identified what it was.
If there's more to that and the Auditor General identifies it to us, then by all means let's pursue it, but I see no reason to go down this route.
The only other point I would like to make--and I am concerned and will deal with my own staff on this--is that I have not seen this before. If that is a problem within my own staff's responsibilities, I'll deal with it at that particular point.
It's unfortunate that we have something that's just come out at committee. I hope that there are no other members in the same situation as I am on this matter.