I'll lead off on this. Jonathan might want to follow.
In the narrative of the Gomery commission, not the recommendations, you'll find it stated that there are three fundamental principles of our parliamentary democracy: one is supremacy of Parliament, two is ministerial responsibility, and three is rule of law.
Then the report goes on to say that the government's interpretation of ministerial responsibility and its sense of ownership of that doctrine privileges ministerial responsibility above supremacy of Parliament, and that the government has not listened to what Parliament has been saying--meaning this committee--on how it wants to hold government accountable, and primarily how it wants to hold the public service and other agencies accountable to Parliament.
It's fair to say that the recommendations did not deal with that, but the narrative does. The intent was very clear. It was to strengthen Parliament. The question is that when you're strengthening an institution like Parliament--and here, particularly the public accounts committee--you have to deal with increments. You can't just say “Let the system change” and it will change. You have to say this, this, and this has to be done.
At that point, let me suggest that the thing I raised earlier, which is not expressed in any strong form in the Gomery commission report, about the need for a protocol on the responsibilities and accountability of accounting officers before this committee, is a key, and it has to be something this committee is comfortable with and agrees to.
Putting that another way, regardless of how that document is produced, it has to be one that this committee buys into, as well as the Treasury Board. It seems to me it's only at that point that this committee and the Treasury Board can work together to strengthen the Treasury Board, as well as Parliament's control over the public purse, through the accountability process.
But I do emphasize there that ultimately the terms and conditions on which accounting officers appear before this committee are up to the committee and Parliament to determine.