Mr. Speaker, with respect, I take exception to the allegation that I had anything to do with friends at WE. I have no friends who work for the organization.
In any event, I think the point he is trying to dig in on is whether the staff members he is calling to appear are the appropriate individuals to come testify and give evidence before committee. With sincere respect for the member opposite, I do not share his view.
I believe in the principle of ministerial responsibility. I believe that if there are concerns about the administration of a particular file, it is the responsibility of the minister who has charge of that file to come testify, either in the House of Commons during question period or as a witness before a particular committee. I think if we stick to our time-honoured tradition of ministerial responsibility, it would serve us well today and tomorrow.