Mr. Speaker, we suspect that the government's chief operating officer likely followed the lead of the Associate Minister of National Defence. His department just spent—or wasted—$375,000 setting up new offices for assistant deputy ministers. That is the price of a new house for a Canadian family.
While so many people are having trouble making ends meet, how can the minister explain excesses such as planned helicopter rides, the use of the Challenger and renovations that are costing taxpayers an arm and a leg?