These have been the standing committee's policies for a long time. I would say, as a western MP, there are times when there's a disadvantage for witnesses to be here, and it's much easier to be a witness coming from Montreal, Toronto, or Ottawa to testify for us. We tend to, if you look through the committee's witness list, recycle a lot of the same people from the region.
As an environmentalist, I appreciate it and I am concerned about taxpayer money, I never think committees should ever preclude it. There is an advantage to have that contact as Will was talking about and the other things that come along with coming to Ottawa to testify in front of committees.
I'll stand as a westerner on that one. We spend a lot of money to get us western folks here. It's more than we do to bring an MP from across the river or wherever. It's something to bear in mind. We should always push for the environmental and taxpayer-friendly thing.