Leader, on February 8, 2021, I placed a question on our Order Paper asking how much former finance minister Bill Morneau’s failed bid to lead the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, had cost taxpayers. An answer was finally tabled in April. It cost $22,728: double what had been reported.

In February, my office submitted an access-to-information request to Global Affairs Canada asking for all documents produced in relation to my question. A response was received earlier today. It shows that an assistant deputy minister approved the answer I received in April back on December 21, 2021.

Why did your government keep this answer from me and from Canadians for two and a half years when they had it?

Thank you for your question, and I’m glad you received the answer. Thank you to the Senate for taking my suggestion and passing a rule that requires answers for written questions and, indeed, oral questions in a timely fashion.

Going forward, no one in this chamber will have to wait as long as you did before.

You want to take the credit for it, did you suggest it take two years? If my office had not filed the access‑to-information request about this question and many other unanswered questions, a response would never have been tabled, Senator Gold.

Senator Gold, isn’t it terrible that this wasteful and secretive NDP-Liberal government has such little regard for Parliament, for transparency and for taxpayers?

My answer is no. That won’t make it into your media clip, but that’s the answer.