Thank you, Mr. Casey.
I should be pointing out that our committee will not be offering amendments per se. Committees that are providing information back to the finance committee do not provide amendments. It's the right of any committee member, if they want to pass information directly on to the finance committee, to pass it along. We can make note of the fact that not everybody feels that it's gone far enough or whatever. We can offer that kind of commentary, but the reason we have our legislative counsel here is to point out the committees offering information and advice back do not make amendments to a budget matter. That's done by the finance committee.
We're simply asked to provide our opinions on what's going on, which is fair game. I will also point out that each party has membership on the finance committee and that can be raised there, which is probably a more appropriate setting because the finance committee will be looking at, I assume, suggestions or amendments, and so on.
My point is that we have to send a letter saying we've looked at it, we've dealt with it. Even if there's not 100% agreement I'd rather hear you say—rather than “Are they happy or not?”—that you feel it should go further, that you aren't comfortable with where it is in terms of what's been achieved. That's fair enough. Governments will always have to deal with that reality. But I don't want to get into the sense that one side is good and one side is bad, because I feel the committee has looked at this within the limited timeframe we've had and are trying to say, in as simple a form as possible, that our committee has looked at it and here's our general suggestion.
It's certainly appropriate if you want to provide additional commentary directly through your membership in the finance committee that it be done that way. But this committee will not be looking specifically at amendments, that's not our responsibility. This is all I'm trying to emphasize. We are not in a position where we can start amending or proposing amendments to the budget. That will have to be done at your finance committee.
Ms. Mathyssen.