Once again, there are a lot of “ifs”. However, if in the opinion of this committee there is copious information, as the chair has quoted, that we might want or need from either Madame Ouimet or the Auditor General, and the committee feels we should entertain either one of them to investigate more fully their responses and/or concerns, then I see no difficulty with having that meeting prior, to see if they can clear up any misunderstandings and/or difficulties they have with each other's testimony.
However, that hasn't been stated. I still believe it's imperative that we eventually have the two of them together. If we can dissolve this ambiguity prior to, with clarification that either one of them can provide, so be it. Maybe I'm prejudging it a bit to suggest that wouldn't happen, but at this particular point, if the committee feels it's worthy of investigating each position more fully, so be it.
I personally think that at some point, sooner rather than later, we're going to have to have both of them together, where one can't play off the other. I really think we need that clarification.
I don't want to move away from that position, so my only point would be if we need further clarification, with an additional meeting with either one of them prior to, if the committee feels that is worthy based on the information and letters we would get from either/or, so be it.
But I don't want to lose that original motion from Mr. Christopherson, to be able to bring both of them in at the same time.