Thank you, Minister, and thanks to the civil servants who support the minister.
This legislation comes after so many years of frustrated democracy. Just to set the context, in 2008, when the major changes were made to navigation protections, there were 10 meetings to discuss those changes and only 21 witnesses. In 2012, when further changes were made to navigation laws and buried in Bill C-45, the budget bill, there were two meetings. I would submit that we are emerging from what was previously an incredibly undemocratic process and bringing it back to a better democratic place. You are part of this process, and I thank you for being here.
As part of the stripping back of navigation protections, Canadians who care about navigation—many of my constituents in the Pontiac—were forced to resort to the courts. They were forced to rely upon their common-law navigation protections.
I would like you, Minister, if you would, to comment on where we've come from and where we're going, in light of that situation.