Thank you.
Thanks to both of our witnesses.
I've read with great interest Professor Dutil's paper, “The Imperative of a Referendum”, and also some years ago I read with great interest Professor Russell's book, Two Cheers for Minority Government. In fact, Professor Russell, you came and spoke about this book to a committee that I sat on a few years ago. I'm sure you don't remember me, but your presentation was very memorable, so I remember you.
I did want to start by going to Professor Dutil, and I have two questions for you. The first one is this. You said in your presentation today, “Regardless of the result [of a referendum], the government must abide by it.” Those are your exact words. I just want to be clear that, when you say this, you do not mean that if there is a referendum and it rejects a new proposal, this ends the discussion, or alternatively, that if a new method is adopted, approved by the people, this eliminates the possibility for further reforms. That is to say, I assume you are not saying that the results of the second referendum in British Columbia, the proposed second referendum in P.E.I., or the 2011 referendum in New Zealand, all of which are different versions of looking at the same question again, are illegitimate.