I find it interesting that the Minister has, on a number of occasions, highlighted the fact that not just his department but a number of departments don’t fund positions at 100 per cent. That may be an extremely clever accounting process. I recognize that — I think he said earlier — we have a 14.2 per cent turnover. That may be the theoretic approach to not implementing full salary in the department, knowing very well that they’ll never use it. But yet, it does bring in the question about whether that’s a proper formula process.

I know the clock’s ticking now, so I’m going to squeeze two questions together. I know the Minister will take more than a minute to respond, I’m sure. Why don’t we have a policy that says one employee, 100 per cent salary? I think that’s a true articulation of what’s actually happening there. If it’s not used, I’m of the belief it should be returned. The public is demanding a more accountable sense rather than that money is allocated to pay for a warm body in a seat. That’s what it’s intended for, not for who knows what.

Mr. Chairman, my other question really is — although I’m running out of time and I don’t know if anyone’s after me, but I’ll just assume there is…. I’d like to explore this unfunded position a little further. I was highlighting some questions yesterday about who we are paying, who’s really on the books.

Some concerns I have are: what is the policy for unfunded positions? The way I see it, a departments should be declaring every single person in the budget. It’s the way we prove this book called our budget. If it’s not in the budget, it shouldn’t be there.

I’d like to hear the details of the policy, if one exists. If one doesn’t exist — and I’m concerned that we don’t have one, and…. Essentially this House is approving this budget. We account for every single employee, yet you’re able to fund full-time employees, possibly with the benefits. Not just your department; you said, across the board, that they’re throughout the government. Do we really have a grasp on how many unfunded positions are out there, and what’s the policy that drives them?