I appreciate the question. It is clear that you have understood what we were saying earlier.
We are proud to be accountable. We are proud to be able to manage the budgets that we are given and do it responsibly. The volunteers are proud and everyone is in the same boat, it is part of the learning curve, etc. However, we hate to have to use one-third of the resources that you give us to simply fill out your forms. But that is what is happening now. With the changes in accountability at Heritage Canada, our employees spend 33% of their time filling out your forms. That is way over the top. This all began with the problems at Human Resources Development Canada.
There were no problems with our groups and our files. However, we were publicly dragged through the mud and we had unreasonable accountability criteria imposed upon us.
We like to hear people say that we are giving our nation a gift, but it is a rather strange gift because we have to constantly fight for our place. We are criticized for being demanding. People try to make us feel uncomfortable because of what we are advocating. However, it is the person who has no respect for the rights of an individual citizen who should feel uncomfortable; not the person who is advocating that right. You are not an advocate if you are not asking for something to which you are already entitled.
It is hard for us to feel like we are giving something to the nation when the Department of Justice continually finds itself on the other side of the issue and regularly loses its case. What is wrong with a government that sends our Department of Justice to work against the rights of a citizen, to reduce costs or the risks to the government, which has not respected the right of that citizen? Something is wrong with this system. It's a pretty strange way of doing business.