Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen, you are asking for input on a very big challenge, which is to set the budget for next year. I have to say that I feel like I'm one of those little gophers in those games where you hit them on the head, because I don't feel like I belong here, but there are two things I have that I think make me different.
Number one, unlike you, I know who you voted for in the last federal election. Number two, unlike these people who came before you who had big problems and were wanting your solutions, I have a big solution for your problem or challenge that is before this committee.
Think about what it would look like. What is the solution going to look like when it comes to you? In 2013, Minister Clement picked up on it and sent me on a whole dog-and-pony show—and my clients, who were several governments—to the Treasury Board Secretariat, and people got it. All the assistant secretaries kind of got it and it got batted around and it kind of fizzled out.
You guys have your house in order, right? The most important thing you have is that the Minister of Finance is not the Auditor General. The problem for the budget to be fair and transparent is that fairness and transparency occur in the justice system and the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice are the same person. When you're going out there, if you can ask the question—when will Canada's legal system be rules-based, always, everywhere you go?—and have an answer for that, the future will be bright indeed. There are two people I've been working on a lot for six years now. If you could ask that question of the clerk and the administrator of the Judges Act, I think you'd be pleased with the answer.
Thank you.