I'd like to address the question or the issue of whether or not a report from this committee to the House to augment the budget of the DFO's small craft harbours branch would be an amendment to the budget. I don't think it would be. Such a decision could be a cabinet decision and performed through supplementary estimates.
Therefore, in terms of balancing, Mr. Manning had a very valid suggestion that we should not lowball this and we should actually ask for what is required. Mr. MacAulay's issue is that we need to act, and act quickly, to resolve the capital deficit.
I think we could suggest to the House that in this fiscal year the government appropriate additional funds and, on advice, use the process of supplementary estimates to do so, as opposed to suggesting a budgetary legislative amendment.