Public Safety committee  I think we have to be cautious here. I don't know if Minister Day was talking about part one. If he was talking about part one, then perhaps all those recommendations have been carried out. As far as part two is concerned, clearly that hasn't happened. We have to look at the context of his statement as to what he was talking about.

Public Safety committee  That's correct.

Public Safety committee  No, other than the statement of a cabinet minister, and I would rely on that statement.

Public Safety committee  That's correct.

Public Safety committee  I am not, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I'm in private practice now, doing other things, and so I'm not aware of whether such a directive has been issued. Certainly there was a recommendation that it be issued, but I'm not aware of it.

Public Safety committee  Okay, in respect of Mr. Kennedy's committee, what Justice O'Connor talked about was a restructured CPC, so that the new independent review committee would have much broader powers than the CPC, including national security, as well as just general law enforcement powers, and that would be the new RCMP committee.

Public Safety committee  With the new anti-terrorism legislation the RCMP was given new national security responsibilities. You may recall that in 1981 the McDonald commission said the RCMP should get out of the national security game, and that is why we created CSIS. In any event, we brought them back into the national security game in 2001, and there was very little training for these front-line officers in national security issues.

Public Safety committee  As a private citizen and not speaking on behalf Mr. Arar, I would note that Justice O'Connor delivered his last report in December 2006. We are now in 2009, and it seems to me that we have to act effectively. It's up to the government, but I have my own views on that.

Public Safety committee  Well, I think what is certainly recommended in the Arar report is that the overall coordinating committee in respect of national security be composed of the chair of the new RCMP body, the chair of SIRC, and the CSE commissioner, as well as an independent person who would chair the committee.

Public Safety committee  Yes, unquestionably, that is an important recommendation made by Justice O'Connor. He recommends that the new RCMP body also have jurisdiction over the CBSA, which was involved in the Arar case. SIRC, the Security Intelligence Review Committee, would have jurisdiction not only over CSIS but also over Transport, CBSA, FINTRAC, and one other agency.

Public Safety committee  I really can't comment whether the recommendations have been implemented. Once again, I'm speaking on my behalf as commission counsel and not on behalf of Mr. Arar. From my perspective, leaving aside part two, the most important recommendations he makes in part one relate to the two things I talked about.

Public Safety committee  Just as a private citizen, I read somewhere where a government minister said that all of the recommendations in part one, which would include what you're talking about, have been implemented. I don't know if they have or haven't, but certainly as far as waiting for the Air India inquiry is concerned—and once again I'm speaking as a private citizen—I don't think it would be of assistance, as far as the issue you are talking about are concerned.

Public Safety committee  Thank you. Mr. Chair and honourable members, thank you for giving me the opportunity of discussing with you the Arar report, which was presented by Justice O'Connor in September 2006, and part two was delivered in December 2006. In that regard I acted as his commission counsel in the Arar inquiry, which was conducted over a period of two and a half years.