Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you Mr. Dufresne and Mr. Bédard for being present today and answering these questions on ministerial responsibility.
The principles of ministerial accountability guide the ministers and their officials when they appear before parliamentary committees, including when officials appear in their capacity as accounting officers. I understand that ministers are responsible for providing answers to Parliament on questions regarding the government's policies, programs and activities, and for providing as much information as possible about the use of their powers, including those delegated by them to others.
Ministers are also responsible for deciding which questions they should answer personally and which questions may be answered by officials speaking on their behalf. This has been a long-standing practice of the House.
Beyond the broad scope that committees can compel anyone residing in Canada to appear before a committee, do you think that using the committee's power to compel staff, who have, in many cases, no authority over decisions of the government, and forcing them to appear [Technical difficulty—Editor] political gamesmanship?