Procedure and House Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madame Legault, the public has a right to know what their government is doing. It's a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy. Yet this government seems obsessed with secrecy. In your own testimony you suggested that enforcement of the ATI Act would be

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Although you've now referred one matter to the RCMP--

Procedure and House Affairs committee  But I can just point out, five years into this government's regime, that they in fact rode into Ottawa on the high horse of accountability. They were the ones who were going to implement John Reid's open government act. It was the one that was committed to freedom of information.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Cost is only one of the barriers, and I have one example. The Treaty One First Nations, in my community of Winnipeg, were trying to find out about the status of the Kapyong military barracks. They paid their $5 up front and then there was a $780 surcharge for research. That's onl

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It seems to me, Ministers, that instead of the Truth in Sentencing Act, we need a truth in budgeting act. It's like pulling teeth trying to get this information out of you. How could you have compiled this fat a book and failed to include the capital costs of billions of dollar

Procedure and House Affairs committee  No, you are. You're parsing words and splitting hairs--

Procedure and House Affairs committee  --to avoid telling people what they need to know.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That's not in here.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It's like the Rumpelstiltskin defence, where if you don't ask the exact right question, you don't get any answer at all. I mean, poor Scotty there did his best to put together a comprehensive question, and you skated all around it by answering every question except what we need

Procedure and House Affairs committee  What we know is your guy--

Procedure and House Affairs committee  You are splitting hairs to avoid what we really need to know. Mr. Head there is going to hire 4,000 new prison guards, but is that figure in here? Your $2 billion for building new jails isn't in here. There will be 4,000 new staff persons. Every other government agency is cuttin

Procedure and House Affairs committee  How much will that cost us?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I mean the 4,000 new staff persons for Mr. Head here.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  How much?