When we use “incorporation by reference”, we use it when we have, for example, an international standard or practice or code that everyone agrees is how it should be done. Then the regulation will say that everyone has to follow that standard.
Let's take, for example, a Codex standard around a food processing approach. The obligation in the regulations—that would go through Treasury Board and would be approved and consulted on with stakeholders quite heavily as we are preparing that regulation—would say that everyone has to comply with that code and standard. That way, as that code evolves and innovation happens, that's immediately available to regulated parties in Canada. That's why we have it drafted as we do currently in the statute to say a “document from any source and as may be amended from time to time”.
To your point about the conflict of interest provision, if when we do our regulation we reference a source that people don't believe has merit in being referenced in, then the Treasury Board and the agency will take comments from stakeholders at that time.