Public Accounts Committee on April 20th, 2026

[Tom Osborne, Liberal, Cape Spear, NL]

We're not going to rock the boat on this. We're amenable to the motion that Mr. Lemire put forward. We have what we believe is a friendly amendment. If it's acceptable, we'll move forward. If parties don't want to accept it, then we'll move forward without it. We believe that this is a friendly amendment, but we don't intend to hold this up. We had some discussion prior to this discussion.

I'll just read in the amendment, and if all parties feel that this is acceptable, fine. If not, we'll go without it. It would be “That, in light of the testimony of the Office of the Auditor General on the 2026-27 main estimates on April 15, 2026, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts”—and this is the change—“write to the Treasury Board Secretariat on the need to modernize section 13 of the Auditor General Act to ensure unrestricted access to information”. It would also add that the Treasury Board Secretariat would respond back to this committee in 90 days.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Is that instead of reporting to the House?

[Tom Osborne, Liberal, Cape Spear, NL]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Mr. Lemire, it's about writing a letter to the Treasury Board Secretariat and asking them to respond within 90 days, instead of reporting it to the House.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think that in this case, the Auditor General is asking for a concrete measure to ensure timely response. We have an opportunity next week. I'm afraid that incorporating this aspect means we lose this opportunity, and we'll end up not addressing the request.

That said, I think that the information is quite relevant and that the government can take the initiative to provide us with this information without incorporating this in the motion, which could make us lose the opportunity to respond to this request as early as next week.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Mr. Osborne, the ball is in your court. I'll make a suggestion if it's friendly. Why don't we do both? Then I'll table it.

I think Mr. Lemire's concern is to get this in front of the government before the fiscal update is done. I kind of see his point there, whereas you're actually looking for an answer from the government, which I think this committee would welcome. Why don't we do both? Why don't I table it—friendly—in the House from the public accounts committee and reference the letter in writing to the Treasury Board seeking an answer in 90 days.

That kind of covers it all. Would that work?

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Mr. Osborne, it was really a question for you.

[Tom Osborne, Liberal, Cape Spear, NL]

I think we would be good with that.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

To move things along, I'm going to look for unanimous consent—just to wrap all of that up—that we agree to add Mr. Osborne's amendment, as an addition to reporting to the House, seeking a response from the government in 90 days, from the Treasury Board.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

I'm now going to suspend again for five minutes. We're going to come back here in camera. My goal is to keep you here as briefly as possible. This meeting is suspended. I'll see you back in five minutes.

[Proceedings continue in camera]