To the witnesses today, thank you so much for being here.
My first couple of questions are for Mr. Wright.
It was mentioned that in the U.S. there was only a year and a couple of months between when the EPA issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen and when the company pleaded guilty to the criminal felonies and agreed to pay billions of U.S. dollars. In Canada, the ECCC began investigating and then charges were only laid four years later.
As part of their plea agreement in the U.S., Volkswagen entered an agreed statement of facts in 2017 that would be legally admissible in Canadian court.
Mr. Wright, shouldn't that have meant that the investigation would be easier or quicker here in Canada?