Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am asking for three meetings, the main reason being I don’t want all of the witnesses to be heard at the same time, if we need to summon witnesses in addition to the three we heard from at the beginning. By having three meetings, which could last about an hour, it would ensure we don’t have a huge panel of witnesses. We could concentrate on those who are present. It’s a matter of time management for questions. It is sometimes disagreeable when three, four or five witnesses appear at the same time, and we have very little time to ask questions. By spreading it out over three meetings, that helps every single one of us, not just me.
As for the calendar, why do we need to go back to 2015? You called my attention to the fact that 2015 is the year the Liberal government was elected. My main reason truly is to get a comparison. The recently appointed Governor General has not made a lot of trips. By going back to 2015, we cover the two years with no travel. That would lead to a better comparison. We could cover from 2010 to 2022, if we want to compare; I see no problem there. We could even go back to 1867 and compare costs with an adjustment for their current value. The goal isn’t to put the government in hot water. I hope you’re starting to get to know me. I am counting on efficiency. I want to make sure taxpayer money is well spent and we understand those expenses, which is why I suggested we go back to 2015. It has nothing to do with Mr. Trudeau’s government being elected. I’m not seeking to establish comparisons with the years of Mr. Harper’s government. It’s simply because we had a pandemic. If that had not happened, I would only have gone back five years instead of seven.
It is indeed a great deal of information, but it should have been collected already. Evidently, it’s already been done because reporters got it before we did. I’m asking to have the same information as them. I am aware that this means a lot of information, but when it comes to invoices, they only apply to travel in March, and not the last seven years. You know I like to sleep, eat and see my family outside of work, like the rest of you.
As for the dates to receive documents and start meetings, naturally, sooner would be better. I want to understand the situation quickly. I don’t like being in the dark.
That said, I agree with Mr. Johns’s suggestion: October 31 for receiving documents and November 15 for the first meeting. Those dates are acceptable. I am comfortable with that. However, I don’t like being in the dark and I prefer to get out of it quickly. Just like on the highway, we don’t like being in the dark.