Madam Speaker, everyone is expecting elected representatives to be beyond reproach. It is therefore quite appropriate that decisions made by hon. members be transparent, so that members can be accountable for them to their constituents.
We must recognize that accountability in connection with the establishment of the many foundations put in place by this government is totally non-existent. The fact is that it is rather unusual to sink billions of dollars into programs without these investments being subject to external audit.
Ideally, the Auditor General is the best choice for scrutinizing the existing foundations inside and out. We are told that there are already audit mechanisms in place for these foundations, but we must recognize that they do not have as much authority as anything the Auditor General could do.
I would like to ask this question of my hon. colleague, the government member opposite, who so brilliantly orchestrated such a subterfuge. What reasons could there be for all Canadian taxpayers agreeing to the creation of a structure involving huge amounts, without those responsible being subject to even the most basic accountability?