It was about the cognizance of ministers about the daily activities in their offices and their departments. Of course, officials who work under a minister make literally thousands of decisions a day, and the ministers are not knowledgeable about them all. However, ministers do take responsibility for what does occur within their departments and within their offices, even if they were not aware at the time of those decisions. That's the basic system we have.
The one connection Parliament has to the ministries and to the departments is through the minister. That goes back to the time of King George at the end of the 17th century and beyond. So we have to honour the convention that has worked to create successful parliamentary government over the course of centuries.
The second question was about the Prime Minister's attendance at this committee. I think Mr. Easter understands that the convention has been that the Prime Minister does not appear before parliamentary committees. That was the case under the previous Liberal government; it is the case now.
The controversies the member has raised are particular to several ministries. The ministers in charge of those offices are being offered up to take responsibility, so I would encourage him to work to allow that responsibility to be executed properly.
Thank you.