Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Zussman, thank you for being here this morning.
I think those of us who sat on the public accounts committee during the sponsorship investigation would agree that dismantling the Comptroller General, the role of audit, and what you have described as program evaluation all led to the unintended consequences of having issues fall between the cracks in terms of systemic accountability.
You made the statement that the government has been trying to provide more information resources to members of Parliament, and--I take it that you mean through the committee structure--bring more investigative and inquisitorial capacity to bear, but you go on to say that not enough is used.
You've seen the recommendations in Bill C-2 with respect to whistle-blowing and with respect to internal audit. Where does your experience tell you that capacity should be entrenched? Should it be through the Privy Council Office? Should it be through the management board? Should it be through the accounting officer? I lean toward the accounting officer concept, even though you have said it hasn't changed anything. I would hope that isn't true.
Could you just expand on that? I think the role of the accounting officer is really something on which the government is hinging a great deal of our accountability hopes.