Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Yes, I want to comment on this. I was ready to make a few comments, but I think we have to understand that in the past--and the clerk may confirm this--we have some precedents on an issue like this one. Not a long time ago, we talked about the West Block document, if you remember.
This allowed the committee to adopt a broader approach than we had in the beginning. The committee is master of its own decisions. Moreover, this motion was discussed and was submitted over 48 hours ago. So you can't simply say that it is out of order. There are precedents, and the clerk can confirm that. I think that this motion is entirely in order. And on this topic, I would like to read Standing Order 108(g). I am going to read it in English so that everyone understands me.
It states:Public Accounts shall include, among other matters, review of and report on the Public Accounts of Canada and all reports of the Auditor General of Canada, which shall be severally deemed permanently referred to the Committee immediately after they are laid upon the Table;
I said at the last committee hearing that we had to move this matter forward. I don't understand why once again we are being prevented from having access to these documents. The same thing happened in the case of the West Block issue. This is very important with regard to the public's trust and that of the public servants who work for the Canadian government. In addition, we are told that you would like to set this motion aside to study it more closely. I don't understand why we, the members of the committee, don't have the right to have access to this information.
I do not understand why some try to make sure that we don't have access to those documents. I think the public accounts committee can do its own job. If the public accounts committee thinks we should have these documents, I don't understand why we should wait.