If I could speak just briefly again to Mr. Patry's intervention, I understand that with the budget people would prefer to get a low number, but the fact is that the principle still remains. I've been around here since 1993. This has been tried many, many times by many different committees. I think it's really important for the people of Canada to be able to see exactly what it costs for this committee to do its business.
There are people--I'm not one of them--who have other business that they go to Washington, D.C. on, and should they happen to be the people on this committee, they would be disadvantaged in not being able to conduct the other things. The points are given to or put into the control of a member of Parliament for a member of Parliament to do the business of the Canadian people as he or she may see fit.
As for taking those points away in this way, I'm not suggesting that it's not above board. It is above board; otherwise, we wouldn't be having this public meeting. That isn't the issue. The issue is accountability. I believe that this committee and any other committee should be held accountable for whatever costs the committee incurs in order to do its business.