We're very familiar with this program. We were involved in its inception and in fact pushed for it. We're very pleased with this program.
Could it be expanded and improved upon? Yes, it could. I think we now have a number of years of experience under our belt. We've seen there have been no claims and the program has worked very smoothly, and we would hope the program would be broadened to include a wider range of exhibitions.
Eventually, if we are holding in trust objects of national importance and significance, why can't the Government of Canada indemnify all of the museum collections in Canada in the name of the public interest? That would be a no-cost way to save museums from having to pay insurance--and I don't have to tell you how expensive insurance is.
We've actually looked at setting up a program called reciprocal insurance, which is how the universities do it. We have a group insurance plan now with about 350 museums in it, but we'd gladly dismantle that program and have it covered by a federal indemnity program.
This does exist. Some governments also indemnify boards of trustees. In Nova Scotia, this is now happening, so that the charities do not have to purchase directors and officers liability insurance. In some states in the U.S., they do the same thing.
These are very expensive insurances that we have to have, and there has never been a case where a museum or a non-profit organization has been sued in Canada successfully. There have been some attempted suits, so there are legal costs, but this could be covered.