Thanks, Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here today.
I filed an Order Paper question and the response to that inquiry to the ministry triggered all of this. If that wasn't in your briefing notes, you're welcome. It is great to have the opportunity to have you all at committee today.
That OPQ response, which was submitted in April and brought this matter to light, caused us to examine this particular trip. I appreciate that some changes are being proposed and that some have been implemented. My question is about proactive transparency.
I appreciate that there will be mechanisms put in place to limit expenses. We heard in testimony today that the office of the Governor General is not in any way involved in the catering, but on the invoices it says that there are special requests for a sandwich—singular—for $53. I would say that's an impressive sandwich. There's also a special request for salad for $271. Having to eat a salad is one thing. Paying $271 for that punishment is something else. These must be quite remarkable dishes.
In terms of the Order Paper question and the access to information request that the Canadian Taxpayers Federation discussed and released, it's important that we were able to get information through those means. What is the office of the Governor General prepared to do, on a go-forward basis, to proactively and transparently publish their expenses for trips like this, respecting, of course, security concerns and the individual privacy of the people involved?
For example, for members of the House of Commons, there are itemized disclosures of their expenses, published quarterly. Would it not be easier to put in place a system in which this is the practice for Rideau Hall, rather than to have to examine invoices and publish those and translate those as they come up and then have all of you folks, who do important work, appear at committee to discuss them, because that disclosure wasn't done?