It's extremely important to have funding for officers of Parliament to do this work and hold government to account to ensure trust in our institutions. The Office of the Auditor General is a prime example. During the first year of the Harper government, the budget for this office was $78.6 million; during the last year, it was only $81 million. The current Leader of the Opposition was the minister responsible for safeguarding our democracy. He did not ensure that officers of Parliament were funded adequately.
Can you explain to the committee your thoughts on ensuring adequate funding to these institutions and how that's being taken into consideration now?