Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I have to say that I'm just a lowly guest here today, filling in for my honourable colleague, but I do want to speak to this just a bit, given what has just been added by the Auditor General in terms of the fact that this is something the Auditor General is looking into. We talked a little earlier in the meeting about potential...the optics of this.
The Auditor General is independent. We need to continue to strive for that independence, and we talked about financing and looking into having an independent financing model for the Auditor General.
To suggest that we dictate what the Auditor General is to undertake in terms of a study, I think, is inappropriate—number one. We just heard her indication that they're already looking into this. I think it makes this motion redundant. Any suggestion that we could be influencing the Auditor General by having her here today and then suggesting that she undertake this study would also be inappropriate.
Again, I'm just simply a guest here today, so I'm not sure of the conventions of this particular committee. However, I have been in your seat, Mr. Chair, for a while, whether it was human resources or veterans affairs. I do know that there is a time and place for motions, and it is not when we have witnesses lined up.
I'm going to be brief on this, because I would very much like to get to the witnesses and not carve up their time any more than we have to, but I would ask that the member opposite, the honourable member, consider pulling this motion given the fact that the Auditor General is in fact already looking into this as a potential study topic.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.