NDVA Committee Report

has the honour to present its

On February 22, 2000, your Committee met to consider future business relating to various matters including on objection made by the member for Haliburton--Victoria--Brock relating to comments which were made by the Auditor General concerning his questioning of a member of the Auditor General's staff at a meeting of the Committee held on December 14, 1999.

As the House can ascertain from the evidence of that meeting, the Chair had ruled that the line of questioning by the member from Haliburton--Victoria--Brock was completely in order and appropriate.

In a letter to the Chair, dated December 23, 1999, the Auditor General states that the implication by the member for Haliburton--Victoria--Brock is that the Office of the Auditor General and its staff were not objective in their audits of National Defence and that there may be a question of conflict of interest in this case. He goes on to say that all audits meet strict professional standards set by his Office and that the Defence audits are in no way out of line with any other audits prepared by his Office and its staff.

The reply of the Chair, dated January 18, 2000 explains that at times members do indeed ask questions that may be perceived as aggressive, which is not uncommon in any House Committee and that in this case, he did not judge that an ad hominen attack had been directed toward the witness. He goes on to say that he would certainly intervene for any witness that was being directly attacked but did not feel that this case merited that action.

At the meeting of February 22, 2000 there was lively debate on the matter, to the point that the Committee divided equally on the question of reporting the matter to the House: the Chair felt the situation important enough to cast an affirmative vote, thus allowing the House to be seized of the situation.

Your Committee feels it is their duty to place these matters before you at this time as privilege may be involved and to give the House an opportunity to reflect on these matters.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meetings nos. 12 and 17 which includes this report) is tabled.

Respectfully submitted,

Pat O'Brien

Chair