Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I tabled a series of motions last week, and I wish to move a motion today, as follows. I move:
That, considering the statement in the Ministers' mandate letters from the Prime Minister that Ministers be held accountable to parliamentary committees, the Committee request that the Minister of Finance appear before the Committee on a date no later than December 11, 2018, for a briefing on the government's 2018 Fall Economic Update; and that this meeting be televised.
The reason I'm moving it today is that I would really much prefer that the Minister of Finance appear before the committee. I know his fall economic statement is tomorrow. I think he's going to be providing an update on the state of the budget and whether it has balanced itself yet. I would like him to appear before the committee as per his mandate letter. In his mandate letter, directing him in the work that he does, it says, “This will include: close collaboration with your colleagues; meaningful engagement with Opposition Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Committees”. It goes on and on to list a series of other organizations and stakeholders that the Minister of Finance is supposed to interact with.
I believe the work of parliamentary committees is critical to the role of Parliament and to holding accountable ministers for the management of their departments, as well as the management of the economy in the case of the Minister of Finance. In his mandate letter as well, given to him by the Prime Minister, it says, “We have committed to an open, honest government that is accountable to Canadians”. I think that nothing could be more accountable than appearing before a committee of the House of Commons, duly constituted, and to have his fall economic statement and his ideas and proposals that he's going to put forward tomorrow deliberated upon for an hour before the committee—or more, if he wants to be here longer. I think it would be great to have him.
With that, Mr. Chair, I'm going to see if anybody else wants to continue debate on this.