I will read the motion, for the benefit of the committee members:
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), with regard to Chapter 5 of the Auditor General's report, "Relocating Members of the Canadian Forces, RCMP, and Federal Public Service," the Committee calls on Public Works and Government Services Canada to produce:
1. the internal audit of 27 October 2004 prepared by Consulting and Audit Canada;
2. the recommendations related to the internal audit;
3. the action plan developed by PWGSC.
And that these documents and files be provided in both official languages in the two sitting days following the adoption of this motion.
Actually, I moved this motion as a result of something that happened during the normal course of trying to obtain documents from the Department of Public Works and Government Services. Usually, the department is very cooperative when it comes to giving us information about the various programs. What disturbed me, however, was the fact that the Library of Parliament had requested the report, as it does when members ask for documents, and was told by department officials that they could not find the document but would try to locate it. I knew perfectly well where the document was.
On Friday, the report was found. The library should have been notified that the department had found the report and was sending it over, as per the normal procedure. What caught my attention was the fact that the report was not sent over immediately. I moved this motion so I could raise the issue with the committee.
At the beginning of the sitting, I mentioned that I was in the process of reviewing the various documents and statements provided to the committee. And I noticed that when we study issues quickly, important documents that should factor into the decision-making process are often not submitted in time or are missing when members make decisions. This document is one example of that.
Those of you who are not very familiar with the file should know that, in 2003, an investigation was launched further to a new call for tenders issued by PWGSC and that the internal audit in question should have been made public. The problem is that it was the only internal audit not posted online. So it became very difficult for anyone at this table studying the file to get a hold of the report. I asked for it nearly a year ago through an access to information request. I did not get it. I raised the issue on the order paper, but that did not work either. I went through the library, and this is what happened. Now that the library has the report, I would really like the committee members to receive and read it.
The report was supposed to be a forensic review right before the Auditor General's report and after a conflict of interest inquiry. I would like the members of the committee to read the report to gain a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding this file. This document was missing when the committee members were studying the file.
I asked to see the recommendations resulting from the internal audit, because normally when an internal audit is done, the department always responds in terms of what it plans to do. I do not have these documents. I have number 1, but not number 2 or number 3.
When I spoke to Mr. Smith a week ago, I asked him if the analyst who was there before him had the documents and if he could tell us about the action plans put forward by PWGSC. Mr. Smith did not have the previous analyst's files, however. And that is why I moved this motion.
I think the members of this committee should look at the report and, at the very least, pay close attention to the action plan put forward by Public Works and Government Services Canada and the recommendations resulting from the internal audit.