Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have almost finished what you asked me to do earlier. I would like to get back to the reason behind my amendment.
You will remember that I raised some concerns this week during Tuesday's meeting. These concerns have stayed with me and in fact have gotten worse, because I saw in an article in the media how information was being conveyed concerning Ms. Ouimet's situation. It seems that according to certain members, Ms. Ouimet had gone abroad.
If you remember well, I had said that the business card was removed. One day somebody was there and one day somebody was answering the phone, but Madame Ouimet, for some members, was out of the country.
As you will remember, I was indignant. Indeed, how could people say that Ms. Ouimet was outside the country unless they had information on that?
I would like to read you some excerpts from an article published in iPolitics.ca on February 9, 2011. I have copies for all of the members in both official languages. I will also give a copy to our clerk.
This is what the article says: “A neighbour told iPolitics that she spoke to Ms. Ouimet last week. But her comings and goings are now unclear. The former Public Sector Integrity Commissioner is not opening her door, neither to journalists nor bailiffs.”
Ms. Ouimet seems to be moving about, going here and there, as we can see. The former Public Sector Integrity Commissioner is not opening her door to journalists or bailiffs, but she speaks to neighbours. And yet people are trying to make us believe that Ms. Ouimet has gone on holidays, that she will come back at a given point but that no one knows when. However, business cards disappear, nieces answer the door, the people who answer the phone are no longer there, but the neighbours are talking to Ms. Ouimet or Ms. Ouimet has been talking to her neighbours. And this was no later than last week. While we the members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts cannot even manage to contact Ms. Ouimet, the neighbours for their part had no difficulty reaching her.
The objective of my amendment is clear and simple, just like my colleague's main motion. I am going to finish drafting my amendment, Mr. Chair, and show you where we want to include it. I was frustrated Tuesday and I am even more so today, when I see that we the members of Parliament cannot obtain information, while the neighbours are talking amongst themselves and talking to Ms. Ouimet. This is passing strange.
As was said, “One neighbour told iPolitics that she had a conversation with Ouimet last week”.