Thank you, Mr. Page, for being here.
I want to talk about accountability for a little bit. Under the Westminster model, accountability is very important. I believe the parliamentary budget office should be a tool not only of Parliament and in consequence of parliamentarians, but also in consequence, following that, of Canadians.
You just said that what the PBO will do to serve Parliament should be spelled out in law. How can you be accountable in any proposed legislation to actual parliamentarians? How do you, then, actually respond to the needs of parliamentarians? That's my most important category—not to government but to parliamentarians. How can you respond to what I ask of you and the work that I need to see happen so that I can hold the government to account?
I don't believe the PBO is here to replace parliamentarians in their role. You're here to assist me so that I can hold—or the opposition, in this case, can hold—government to account.