In my mind, responsibility and accountability were always very clear. The Auditor General Act makes me accountable and responsible for setting the terms and conditions for all employees unless they are represented by a bargaining agent. When they are represented by a bargaining agent, it becomes the Treasury Board Secretariat. It was very clear to me that I was negotiating within the mandate given to my office by Parliament. We did have a team of negotiators, but we have to—and I think I explained this to the committee before—stay within the financial envelope or fence that is given by Treasury Board.
On May 8th, 2023. See this statement in context.