During this committee's review of the act, well before the bill was tabled, we heard from a wide array of experts, including the current commissioner and the former commissioner, who is now head of the International Institute for Sustainable Development. I think they heard from some international experts as well. They certainly heard about laws in other jurisdictions. The strong recommendation was made across the board that a more senior authority should be overseeing this.
I could not submit an amendment to replace the responsibility vested in an official within the Department of the Environment because I can't add a part that hasn't been amended. In lieu of that, however, I am making a further amendment to clause 8 of this bill, adding that the “Queen's Privy Council”—in other words, the PCO—also be empowered to issue policies and directives. That was a recommendation by this committee.