Mr. Speaker, in the hon. member's motion he suggests that the government strike a special committee of the House to examine public expenditures in light of the report of the Auditor General. He goes on to say that the deliberations should be open and transparent and that the committee should have the power to subpoena any witness.
Is not the hon. member aware that we already have and have had for many years the Standing Committee on Public Accounts which does that very thing? As a matter of fact that committee is chaired by an opposition member to assure that the examinations carried out are thorough and far reaching and to do all the things already in his motion.
If I understand correctly the hon. member is concerned with overlapping. It seems to me if the government set up this committee we would have much more overlapping and duplication than we already have. I do not really understand what this committee would be doing that the public accounts committee under an opposition chairman is not already doing or will do.