I'm going to jump at the opportunity, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Shepherd is here to tell us about her activities, and we find ourselves in the same situation as the one Ms. Dawson, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, was so critical of. On July 22, 2010, she called for greater freedom to discuss the investigations themselves. They are public investigations, but everything is kept secret. We are parliamentarians, after all; we can get more information. I do not see why these people have to withhold information.
As a matter of fact, as part of Ms. Shepherd's mandate, in her annual report, she quite clearly states that her goal remains to ensure that the act is administered in a way that supports greater transparency and high ethical standards in lobbying activities. That's precisely what her colleague, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, Mary Dawson, was so critical of; she said the requirement to keep everything secret did not support transparency and that a better balance should be struck.
I would like to ask Ms. Shepherd if she feels the same need for greater freedom to discuss her investigations. What prevents her from discussing them with us here today?