There's no question about it, and if you don't mind, Mr. Chair, I'll give a little longer answer.
I think one of the things we need to remember is that these licences preceded the creation of this park, which puts us in an unusual situation. Our understanding is, and as Mr. Pinks has repeated, currently the board has the authority to make these decisions without any other regulation. Directives have been issued on environmental assessments, but the board has the authority. Significant improvements are being made here that will set parameters around the board's decision-making. There will be consultation between the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board and Parks Canada, and Parks Canada has a very strong tradition of environmental conservation and stewardship. There will be commitment to developing a draft definition of protocol. That protocol will be put out for consultation among the stakeholders.
I talked in my presentation about how extraordinary the passion is among the stakeholders, among the public, as it relates to Sable, and I pity anyone who engages in that kind of consultation and expects to get an outcome that will do any harm to Sable. Of course coming out of that, there will be a mechanism under which the accord act will give effect to it through regulation, or directives, or guidance, or through an MOU. When we talk about exploration, we don't know what it will mean, but I can guarantee that going through that process we will end up with something very close to what even some of the critics are calling for in terms of low impact.