Thank you, Chair.
Mr. Desjarlais, I wasn't trying to be offensive to anybody on this committee. We are quite collegial here at this committee.
My point is that we have the Auditor General responding to us in writing, saying that she is not in a position to divulge this information as pertaining to the confidentiality of these contracts, but we're okay to move beyond that point and ask the government officials whether or not they can divulge that information.
I know exactly how this is going to play out. We're going to put the government officials in a very awkward position. If they say they cannot, which is the same answer as the Auditor General, then they will be criticized. The government will be criticized for hiding information. As committee members, we cannot accuse or criticize the AG—I know the public wouldn't support that—for not divulging that information, but as politicians, it's our right, our job, to criticize the government for doing the same thing. I think it's a little unfair in this situation.
As to the sensitivity and the confidentiality clause and how tightly sealed the contracts were, I think maybe we should ask the law clerk. With this, are we knowingly entering a legal minefield in asking for details of these contracts to be looked at by politicians and their staff in their offices and so on? Maybe we should have a meeting with the law clerk.