I think we're going to have plenty of time--until May--to do a proper review of this year's main estimates, and the committee will want to follow through with a separate study when the time comes. But what we need and what the committee has asked for is a timely review of last year's performance by the government. It's a reasonable request.
I know that the Auditor General, in repeated reports, has regularly suggested that all standing committees make this a top priority. So the invitation described in my motion would allow us to take this up in full on Thursday and clear up the confusion. That's the essence of what I'm proposing for Thursday with the minister. I'm sure he would be pleased to attend and discuss that.
I think it's important to circumscribe the area we're examining, given that covering everything at once makes it a bit more difficult for us to be better prepared. It will allow the minister much more latitude in explaining to Canadians how and why decisions were made, and the effectiveness of spending patterns and new programs launched in budget 2006, for example, to get a better sense of how they have worked out.
I've always believed that the estimates process is the heart of the democratic process, and sometimes as parliamentarians we lose sight of that. But it will be a wonderful opportunity on Thursday to look back at 2006-07, and I recommend we look forward to another meeting on the main estimates, as presented some four weeks ago.