I want to be very clear here. Our chair sometimes uses the phrase that “we're takers of legislation”. If in the wisdom of Parliament it passes this bill, of course we will implement it fully and enthusiastically.
I want to be clear that we're not here to testify in any way, shape or form against this legislation.
I will say, as my colleague, Mr. Hutton, outlined, that we do have a concern that if there's a growing tendency to say you must consult with this group, you must consult with that group, and it adds up over time, that can slow us down in a period of time when we're trying to move very fast. That is a concern we have if the Broadcasting Act is continually added to in that way. I also want to make it clear that we're not here to say, therefore, we object to this bill.
We do have a concern about our workload and about the expectations about consultations. Our view is that we consult openly. Anyone can come to us. If there is a bill, it can be read into in different ways. Will people have an expectation of pre-consultations? That is not in the bill, and I want to be clear that the bill was very carefully drafted. We are worried about expanding the scope of who we have to consult with before we make a decision.