Environment committee  If we use the employment insurance account as an example, there was at the time we made those comments a clear definition in the act as to how the rate was to be set. The way the surpluses were accumulating, we believe, was not in compliance with that legislation. We did not say

Environment committee  —and if they are not, to report so.

Environment committee  That is a perfectly legitimate role for the commissioner, within the Office of the Auditor General.

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Let me make a very short comment on the first part, about implementation of recommendations. One of the things we do in the office is what we call follow-up audits, where we go back and actually assess whether government is making satisfactory progress on a

Environment committee  We have not, to my knowledge, not any more than anywhere else within the office. There have been some rotations. We have a policy of rotation within the office to ensure independence, and there have been some rotations of staff, but they have remained within the office.

Environment committee  As I indicated in my opening statement, I do not believe that any of our reports have strayed into policy areas. If we had felt we had gone over the line, the report would not have been published, because—

Environment committee  The policy stray has not happened, but I can tell members of the committee that we, on a fairly regular basis, receive requests from people who would like us to go much further. If the current role, as essentially an audit of government practices and environment and sustainable d

Environment committee  We believe that the nomination of an interim commissioner is a time to reflect upon how we can improve that practice, if we can, before we go ahead with the search for a new commissioner. That is why I brought the review forward here; otherwise, there would be an expectation, qui

Environment committee  May I ask the member for some clarification?

Environment committee  I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, but as I indicated earlier, I cannot comment on that issue.

Environment committee  Yes.

Environment committee  The commissioner's report and any audit done by the commissioner's group follows—and this will be in part a response to Mr. Bigras' question—exactly the same process as any audit that is done in the Office of the Auditor General.

Environment committee  It goes through the same process and uses the same audit methodologies. It has the same quality assurance, procedures, internal and external advisers, reviews, and briefings to me and the commissioner on what the findings in the audit and the conclusions are. It's also the same r

Environment committee  Yesterday.

Environment committee  Yes.