Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The committee held two meetings to examine chapter 5 of the 1993 Annual Report of the Auditor General with regard to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, specifically the Northern Cod Adjustment and Recovery Program.
The committee is concerned that all government programs include proper financial controls. It is also of the belief that full scrutiny and approval, by Parliament, of the programs for which it allocates funds, is a vital component of financial management and control. In the case of the Northern Cod Adjustment and Recovery Program, these needs were not met fully.
Now that the program has ended, the committee strongly believes that some valuable lessons have been learned from it. These lessons have considerable relevance for the development and implementation of future programs, and ultimately for the way in which Parliament conducts its affairs.
It is out of concern that the kinds of problems experienced by NCARP be either averted or diminished in the future that the committee makes its report and recommendations. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee asks that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.