Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Just to be clear, I think originally when we wanted to have this conversation in camera, it was simply in response to the motion itself, which calls for an in camera meeting. That's why we moved in that direction. However, that's a moot point now.
I think we have to keep in mind the work plan. Meetings have been scheduled, and I know members across the aisle, not just on this side, are very much looking forward to those meetings.
This issue is not to be dismissed. I'm certainly not saying that it's unimportant to my colleague in the Bloc who has put it forward, but I think we have to keep in mind the work plan itself.
It can be taken up at other committees as well. This is something that can be looked at in the government operations committee or the health committee. In fact, the member does have the ability to call on those committees to study this.
For these reasons.... Let's also keep in mind, Mr. Chair, and you know this very well, that just a few days ago, on February 8, you received a letter from the Auditor General. Let me quote from it:
After having consulted internally within my office, I would like to reaffirm my answer given during the hearing. Due to the restrictive confidentiality clauses in the agreements, I am unable to disclose information about the agreements and related confidential information to the Committee. The in-camera nature of a meeting would not affect the obligation to respect the confidentiality provisions in the agreements with the vaccine companies.
In effect, what the Auditor General is obviously saying here is that she still could not answer our questions in an in camera meeting. She's not able to do so.
The public accounts committee has, at its core, engagement with the Auditor General. If the Auditor General is telling us that she cannot engage with us, then the idea of having this particular meeting is itself moot. I think that's something we have to keep in mind, because the result would be that we go ahead with this and it's just us looking at documents. Some of us might be well versed in contracts and contract law and the like, but I'm not sure how far we would get.
This is something that can be taken up at other committees that have more of a mandate to carry out that work. I think we should stick with our work plan and continue with that agenda.