Government Operations committee  I'll answer briefly. I think I've already answered that the Federal Accountability Act is certainly a step in the right direction, but it was not a response to my report. My report hadn't even been filed and deposited at the time they drafted that. In other words, the Federal Accountability Act anticipated some of my recommendations.

Government Operations committee  That's a very hard question. I don't know that I could answer that question. These were exempt staff, were they?

Government Operations committee  Once again, one of the problems I thought we dealt with in the report and recommendations is that the exempt staff in the Prime Minister's Office, or in any ministerial office, don't seem to be the subject of any laws.

Government Operations committee  Of course we recommended that these reforms proposed by Mr. Reid be implemented to a very great extent. There were a couple of reserves about some of them, but generally speaking, they were there. I think that the era of secrecy in government is the past. I am convinced that any government that behaves secretly is eventually sowing the seeds of its own defeat because the public is so insistent upon knowing what is going on.

Government Operations committee  My cows are about to give birth to their calves, and that's my principal preoccupation.

Government Operations committee  I do not fully grasp your question.

Government Operations committee  It is difficult for me to remember all the details of this reform, but it is very good overall. One thing that frustrated us during the commission's work was the fact that a good many of the breaches of the Electoral Act were committed at a time such that no legal action could be taken.

Government Operations committee  It was necessary to extend the period for legal prosecution purposes. I believe that the Act has been amended to this effect. Virtually all of the breaches that were discovered had taken place at a time such that we could no longer charge anyone.

Government Operations committee  Yes.

Government Operations committee  I believe that there's more accountability required of the public service today than was the case in the period that was covered by our inquiry. There's no question about that. Whether that is due to the provisions of the Federal Accountability Act or to other factors is extremely difficult to know.

Government Operations committee  I understand that matter is before the courts and that there is a lawsuit being vigorously prosecuted against people who are alleged to owe money to the government as a result of the sponsorship program. All I can say is that I have a certain sympathy for the judge who's going to have to hear that case.

Government Operations committee  There are a lot of questions there, madam. As for the factual part, I negotiated my mandate with the government of the day. One of the important provisions I negotiated was the right to go wherever I deemed it appropriate in seeking out the truth. I gave myself, through negotiation, a freedom of action that was very useful during the course of my inquiry.

Government Operations committee  I would just like them to tell me what their reaction is.

Government Operations committee  I don't know the answer to that question. It would be pure speculation, and I don't think I should speculate.

Government Operations committee  Yes. I gave them two years. I thought that would give them time to find time to do something. Perhaps I'm naive, but I expected that at the expiry of that two-year period something would be said or done that would indicate that yes, we've looked at your report; we've decided to reject it or we've adopted this or we've done this or that or the other way--but nothing.