I have 30 years' experience in public administration. I listened to Mr. Wild carefully earlier, and I liked what I heard. Mr. Wild said he couldn't speak to the motivation of the government in creating the position, but that there was now a Federal Accountability Act in force, establishing the will of Parliament. That is very respectful. In my career, I have been president of an organization, elected official and minister. I have experienced both sides of the coin. Frankly, I find that your answer actually dispenses with—in the most literal sense of the word—the will of Parliament. You say that it would be an easy answer, because in your opinion the relativity among those positions cannot be discounted. I believe that the will of Parliament was very clear—Parliament wanted a Parliamentary Budget Officer. Parliament wanted someone at the highest level. It doesn't matter whether the Gentlemen Usher of the Black Rod would like his position to be reclassified thereafter.
I believe that the will of Parliament is clearly not what we have now—we want someone to help elected members. We asked for it, and Parliament voted for it. The NDP has been asking for it for years. I feel very frustrated, and I feel the will of Parliament is being frustrated as well, because you have decided—your word, not mine—that the relativity cannot be discounted. Your bureaucratic administrative ruling cannot be circumvented. In 2006, we passed legislation that would help us, but we don't have what we wanted yet because your regulations cannot be circumvented.
Isn't that paradoxical? With those rules, are you not in fact setting yourself above the elected members here?