Madam Chair, if I may bring some light to this issue here, what “committing and certifying accounts” usually deals with is paying for witnesses and the costs for that. That's my understanding. On the House of Commons side, hiring outside counsel is a completely separate matter. It will require a separate budget and further approval by the committee. I would say that this aspect is not contained in this motion.
However, I would defer to my Senate colleague to see if he has anything to add on this subject.