Mr. Speaker, the issues with respect to public opinion research have been examined on many occasions already. They were examined in an audit report in 1996 done independently by the firm of Ernst & Young. They were examined most recently by the Auditor General in her report in 2003 and she said this:
For the most part, we found that the federal government was managing public opinion research in a transparent manner and with adequate controls. The activities were centrally co-ordinated, as required by policies. Selection of suppliers for standing offers followed the competitive process.