Thank you for clarifying that, Mr. Hayes. It's rather troubling that we can't be certain public money isn't being used for partisan activities. I also realize that the circumstances today aren't what they were back then, circumstances that led to the Gomery commission. Since the same political party is in power now, I don't mind telling you that I have concerns.
You also noted that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat failed to properly examine the external reviews conducted by Ad Standards—failed, in fact, to examine them at all. In your remarks, you pointed to the differences in the outreach of government advertising campaigns.
In the current context, the messaging around handwashing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 would not be considered partisan, of course. I can, however, think of advertising campaigns that might cause confusion, those run by Economic Development Canada, the Business Development Bank of Canada and Destination Canada, for example.
In light of the current political climate, not to mention your audit findings and the millions of dollars spent on government advertising, can you confirm to the committee that you will be keeping a close eye on what happens next and initiating another audit to keep things from getting out of hand?
