Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Having read the revised motion and certainly in keeping with the spirit of having a diversity of opinions around the table, I would put to this committee that I am open to having at our disposal outside legal counsel. I would suggest that we may find common ground by not limiting it to or having it be the only legal counsel provided to this committee, notwithstanding the fact that we ought to have ample time to invite the appropriate witnesses and guests who would be able to provide expert testimony at our request.
In keeping with the spirit of having a balanced approach to the legal interpretations, I certainly don't want to take anything away from our existing legal counsel within the public service, but would be open to the pursuit of outside legal expertise, noting that the process will likely take some time and some vigorous discussion to come to a consensus about who that person might be, and could veer us off of the material course of what we're pursuing.
That would be my caution in the selection process of that. I note that in our routine motions, we no longer have subcommittees. We have basically agreed that we're going to keep everything as a committee of the whole. I wouldn't want this process to be our first major roadblock in order to reach a work plan consensus.
If it is the intention and the spirit of the mover to bring outside legal counsel in addition to existing legal counsel that we have, many names could be put forward. Everybody around the table would have the opportunity to seek adequate subject matter expertise, and then as a committee we would come to a consensus.
The last point I would make on this is that if as a committee we deem that the process became an obstruction in and of itself, we could at a potential later date decide to abandon that process for the sake of the committee.
However, at this moment I would support the mover's intention of having outside legal counsel to add to the diversity of expertise around the table.
Thank you.