Thank you, Mr. Albrecht.
Commissioner, on your website there's a link to a Federal Court of Appeal case with Democracy Watch, Barry Campbell and the Attorney General of Canada. It deals with the interpretation of rule 8 under the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct. It was a very significant decision because, previously, to say someone had undue influence over a public office-holder you had to prove that there was influence. The decision of the Federal Court of Appeal was that all you have to demonstrate is that there was an attempt to influence.
That is very significant. The Commissioner of Lobbying has advised me that rule 8, improper Influence, says: “Lobbyists shall not place public office-holders in a conflict of interest by proposing or undertaking any action that would constitute an improper influence on a public office-holder.” It has always been that you have to demonstrate that there was an influence. The Federal Court of Appeal decision is that there needs to be evidence only that there was an attempt to influence.
Now, because it's a Federal Court decision, have you adopted that lighter or less onerous burden, that to determine whether or not a public office-holder, under the Conflict of Interest Act...? It would have to be demonstrated only that the attempt was there, and that the public office-holder.... We don't know whether or not they were influenced, but it really doesn't matter. Is your office now adopting that Federal Court of Appeal ruling with regard to onus of proof?