If I may, Mr. Chair, the concern isn't so much about what's said, but about a lack of certainty concerning what's there and what it means.
The issue of reporting requirements has been raised. Again, I don't look at that primarily from the viewpoint of transactional work, because we don't do that; we deal strictly in the public policy sphere. But it's not clear.
My apologies, Mr. Chair, if I'm extending into someone else's time.
But for instance, what are the boundaries on that? It's obviously clear that if one individual goes to a senior government official to talk about a policy issue, this is a reportable meeting. If it involves a group of people under the umbrella of a single organization, does that require one report or a report by each individual in the organization who takes part in the meeting? If more than one government official takes part, does it require a separate report for each official, or is a single one enough?
What happens if you extend that to consultations by government itself? Recently I took part in a pre-budget consultation involving the Minister of Finance. It was at the minister's invitation and involved 17 organizations, if I recall the number correctly. Would each of us be required, in a consultation initiated by government, to file a report?
More broadly, there might be a policy conference involving hundreds of people at which senior officials or ministers speak because policy is being discussed and different points of view presented. It is an arranged event but might not be public. Does that make it reportable for every individual in the room affected by the provisions of the bill? It's not clear.