That's a really interesting question.
I think this goes back to the creation in 2005 of the enforcement branch, which was designed to create an independent and impartial investigative body that could undertake enforcement activities under CEPA.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no interaction with the minister's office or the Prime Minister's Office to influence the work of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in the discussions of the actual penalty amount.
I would, however, go back to Justice Rondinelli's reasons associated with his accepting the plea agreement. They indicate that this is a new era, in terms of the scope and size of penalties. He recognizes that this penalty of $196.5 million, which goes back into environmental projects in Canada, is 26 times the next highest amount that had previously been collected.