Yes, your own portfolio as well.
I'm shocked, quite frankly, that the Minister of Finance of today doesn't seem to have the same attitude as the former minister of finance for Pierre Trudeau in terms of the role and the accountability of the ministers to Parliament and to parliamentary committees, and I'll tell you why.
I've held up this document a couple of times. This is called “Open and Accountable Government, 2015” and was published with much fanfare by the Prime Minister—by the Privy Council Office—when this was a new, fresh-faced government. You remember those days: the “sunny ways” days.
In the sunny ways days, this document read, “Open and Accountable Government”, and for the translators, I will first go to the first page as a summary explanation of what the document says. That was the title in 2015. We all know that this is a bit of a fantasy document now given the performance—perhaps more non-fiction or fiction. It depends on your perspective. I think it's found in the science fiction/fantasy section of a bookstore now.
Here's what the first paragraph explains about the importance of this document:
Open and Accountable Government sets out core principles regarding the roles and responsibilities of Ministers in Canada's system of responsible parliamentary government. This includes the central tenet of ministerial responsibility, both individual and collective, as well as Ministers' relations with the Prime Minister and Cabinet, their portfolios and Parliament.
It outlines standards. As it says here:
It outlines the standards of conduct expected of Ministers—including accountability and ethical guidelines—and addresses a range of administrative, procedural, and institutional matters.
It also provides guidance to ministerial exempt staff and useful information. It goes on. There are letters from the Prime Minister. There are introductions. It's quite robust. It has all kinds of buzz words which we like. It talks about ethics, open access, and the importance of Parliament and ministerial accountability. There's fundraising and dealing with lobbyists. I don't think members read that section that much, or Pomp & Circumstance may not have got the untendered contracts which they got. This document set out lofty goals. It's the type of document which was referred to in my earlier remarks. I would encourage all of our people looking at this to read it.
Before I go to reading the mandate letter of the Minister of Finance, and I know everyone is riveted and probably curious as to what it said, Mr. Chair, I would like to move to adjourn.