I have a speaking list, but let's wait one second.
I'm going to respond to this, because I can see your point.
I'm going to tell you up front, for what it's worth, that it was not me. You can take that to the bank. I have tried to conduct myself honourably in the committee and my word is all I have as we work together. The clerk tells me we are working together on this.
I will tell you my view as well. My view is that the documents are not confidential. My view—and I asked the clerk— is that once the story in The Globe and Mail appeared, any journalist who contacts the committee should be given the documents. The clerk in her wisdom counselled me not to do that, so I did not do that. However, my view of these documents is that written responses to an oral question are not confidential documents. Once they receive them, members are free to transmit them freely.
Not only do I think there is no infraction here, but I will also reassert that it was not me.
That said, the amendment to the motion is what it is. You are welcome to an amendment, but my starting point is that documents that come to this committee in response to public meetings.... The witnesses were not able to give us an answer on the spot, which would have been on the public record. They therefore agreed to provide a written response. This is, in fact, no different from a public answer that is on the record and publicly transmitted. Here we had a written response.
That is my view, and I believe this to be the case for every committee, not just public accounts. My view is that members are free to do what we all do as lawmakers, which is to study them if they think there's some information to work with. That's my view, just to give you my perspective and what I think.
I recognize that my job is to safeguard the committee and I understand that it is important for the information to be given to you in order for you to decide how to use that going forward. I have answered your concern, or at least addressed it—maybe I haven't answered it.
I will turn to Madame Sinclair-Desgagné and then to anyone else.