Madam Speaker, as the hon. member knows full well, we cannot question the Governor General. I believe she means the Governor General's representatives.
I would like to reply to this question in the same way I did earlier regarding spending cuts during three-quarters of the year, from the beginning of April until now. I cited only a few, but all members of the committee raised excellent and relevant questions. We were told they had found $150,000 out of a budget of $19.1 million.
We repeatedly asked how performance was evaluated. I am sure the hon. member would agree with me that activities must be evaluated in terms of performance and human resources as well as in terms of financial investment. They told us they had saved up to $150,000 out of $19 million. It should be out of $16 million, if you subtract the $4 million remaining, which is the number at issue in the motion.
No further information was given on what steps were taken, in relation to the spring 2004 report of which I spoke, to systematically implement, like all other federal government agencies, spending cuts and streamline funding granted to it up to now. No light was shed on this matter. We were told that, in the future, they would do their work and give consideration to our requests, but could not give us figures.
I am replying in this manner, because to me, the level of the answers does not bode well for the future. In considering a cut of some $400,000, as I said in my speech, it is up to the Office of the Governor General to decide where it is to occur. Obviously, everyone can have ideas, but it is not up to me to transmit them.