Yes, I have a very quick question.
The reason I asked who wrote the FAA--and then I'm looking at the excerpts of the Treasury Board's payables--is that it looks as though a lawyer has written it. I honestly have a real problem here. I am an accountant by trade, and I would have a difference of opinion with any accountant....
I think that's a healthy discussion, and I agree; if I ever want to have my statements not qualified, I will seek an external auditor's opinion. But I don't think there was any wilful desire to deceive anyone. There was no Machiavellian plan to deceive anyone.
If you look at the policy statement, it says it is the policy to record liabilities and to charge them against existing appropriations or provide them, through a central provision, for valuation. I would have said, yes, that's what I would do. But that's not.... It's probably here. Yes, we learn lessons.
As well, I was looking at the accounting treatment, and it says, “However, the Government's appropriation, accounting and recording policies...impose some special criteria for defining and recording liabilities.” I would have taken that and decided, “Ah, I'm going to treat it this way.”
However, the question that was posed to you about the $15 million...it's like a leasehold improvement. You said you did not own the software. And it says clearly here that if the system has not been transferred, the calculation of liabilities should be based on the percentage of work completed, etc.
So I'm not going to dis you for seeking a legal opinion, because I think it is important to seek a legal opinion. But having learned this lesson, in half a second could you respond on how you will go forward? Because he has to then take the question from there.