In the earlier editions of the book I mentioned, I recommended among other things that the Governor General's chancellery, which grants medals and honours, be subject to the act. Court administrative services—not decisions or transcription of notes, but administrative support—should also be subject to the act, as should the Senate and the House of Commons. I am referring to your various expenses and not your parliamentary, legislative, or other activities. This is now the case in Europe and certainly in England. In my opinion, this has increased their authority and enhanced taxpayers' confidence in their legislative representatives. These bodies should be subject to the act. This change could be made at the stroke of a pen and would, in my opinion, benefit everyone.
I would not be opposed to court administrative services and the chancellery being subject to the act, on the contrary. Let me give you an example.
A number of years ago, a businessman hired me as a lawyer to obtain information about the awarding of contracts by the chancellery, which operates under the authority of the Governor General and makes medals for Canada, including for the Order of Military Merit. The contracts are worth several hundred thousand dollars, but we could not obtain them because they are awarded by the chancellery, which is not subject to the act.
Access should, in my view, be as broad as possible, with specific exceptions such as for cabinet, the Governor General, and the courts. I have no objection to that.