Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to as quickly as possible review a few of the points Mr. Cullen has made. He has been consulted by the minister, and the minister has also been extremely clear with the media on this issue and exactly what has happened. Mr. Cullen, you state you are also satisfied with the minister's answer, but there are a few facts that really need to be stated.
On October 9, shortly after the Prime Minister announced a significant enhancement to the children's fitness tax credit, the department's consultations and communications branch posted online an incorrect news release on a ways and means motion that was not to be tabled until the following day.
A link to the news release was sent to an electronic distribution list maintained by the department. Though the earlier email would still be in the inboxes, the link became inoperative when the news release was removed from the website, so really there was little chance of real serious damage being done, and it was removed from the department's website within 15 minutes.
Because of the error, the minister moved up the tabling of the ways and means to ensure the information was in the public domain--so he moved it ahead. It was tabled the next day, October 10, with all the measures that were inadvertently released. The minister also went further than that and instructed senior officials in the Department of Finance to implement additional safeguards to ensure such a lapse never happens again.
So for me, Mr. Cullen, with respect, you have been consulted. The minister has also been very clear in the media, plus I've reiterated that again today, and you stated yourself that you're satisfied with the minister's remarks.
The only other thing is that there's a small mistake in your motion that stated it was the fall economic update. Actually it was the budget implementation act bill.
That's really all I have.