Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I appreciate where Mr. Wrzesnewskyj is coming from. First of all, Mr. Flaherty, the Minister of Finance, apologized not to the committee but to the House of Commons for breaking the Treasury Board guidelines, in that there was a contract for well in excess of the $25,000 limit for untendered contracts. Not only did he apologize, but he made a clear, categorical statement that he wouldn't do it again.
I'm not sure what Mr. Wrzesnewskyj wants beyond an apology and a commitment that it will not happen again. I don't know what he intends to do.
With regard to the Treasury Board guidelines of $25,000 for untendered contracts, that is the rule. If the contract is awarded for less than $25,000, that is not breaking Treasury Board guidelines; that's living within the guidelines.
Now, some people may say there's a perception of abuse, in that it's close to the limit, though not in excess of it. Let's remember that this is not breaking the guidelines. Therefore, it is very strange to call in the President of the Treasury Board to ask him why he didn't take any action against the Minister of Finance. What's he supposed to take action against? The Minister of Finance lived within the Treasury Board guidelines.
The first point I want to make is that I cannot understand why the President of the Treasury Board would be called before the committee other than to reaffirm what the rules are. Well, we already know what the rules are.