Having worked in the public service, I understand there is a culture within it that what we have done is right, up to now. We have a lot of difficulty thinking outside the box.
The response was quick, and I think the wording of the response is somewhat categorical. I think it would be reassuring to the committee if a model like that of New Zealand or another country, or a provincial model, were looked at and studied carefully before a catch-all statement with regard to flexibility is made, but that's just a concern I have as a parliamentarian. I agree with you that it's mostly a question of quality of information, but it's also a question of having the time to study what we need to study. I think Mr. Wallace is quite right: the amount of time we have and the timing of these tablings are very difficult to manage as parliamentarians.
I'd like to go on to a second suggestion that was made by the committee, and that's with regard to the role of the PBO.
You can understand, given that we're given omnibus budget bills of 420-some pages and that the government doesn't keep from attacking the office of the PBO, that we think part of the solution would be to give Mr. Page and his office a little more strength and a little more of an important role.
Here the response we get is a cop-out. It's that somehow it makes sense for Mr. Page to be an extension of the services of the Library of Parliament. I don't know if my colleagues across the way were satisfied with that answer, but I think it's rather shallow, so I'd like to know why you don't think Kevin Page should be an independent agent just like other officers of Parliament.