Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'll get right to your recommendations. I understand the first recommendation. Are the second and third not alternatives to the first? Because if we were to omit or drop any reference.... And it's not just reference. In fact, if this proposed law did not intrude on the sovereignty of first nations, and therefore was eradicated from it.... I gather the second and third recommendations are more advisory and really wouldn't be needed.
My supplementary to that, as I go on to the second and third, is that the independent legal advice and other advice that we might seek.... This committee, frankly, might have trouble deciding how strong to make the coffee some days, so we're not likely to agree on who should be the independent legal adviser--unless you want to offer up Mr. Morgan, who's probably looking for some advice to give. But seriously, it might be very difficult for us in our structure. We have the Library of Parliament, excellent staff. We've had a number of witnesses from various federal departments to advise us, and after all, we are Parliament. So I was wondering if we could really make that work.
What would be the need--I understand your brief--to have independent legal advice if we are...and I won't say “just” to minimize it, but if we are really a committee of Parliament? The advice we receive from our parliamentary advisers is non-partisan. That's really all we can do in this context. What you're looking for is laudable, but maybe not achievable in this simple committee.
I'd like your comments on that.