Thank you, Minister, for coming to see us today. We really appreciate having you here.
I listened carefully to what you had to say, and I would agree with much of what you said, particularly the necessity of modernizing this legislation. I don't think there's any doubt about that. You mentioned in your speech the attention to the value of committee work and I think you said the fortification of committees and whatnot. However, I have to point out that you went on from there to announce a whole series of changes that you are making without the benefit of hearing a report from this committee.
You mentioned—it's in the budget, in fact—that you are going to an order-making model. You announced today that you are dispensing with all fees, other than the $5 application fee. We have spent the last 11 or 12 meetings of this committee—no, we spent some of them on privacy, but we've spent a number of hours of committee time toward hearing witnesses who have given us expert opinion on what steps the government should take, and yet here we are being told what steps you're taking without being able to deliver our report, which will be out in June. We're working quickly, focusing our attention to this.
I'd like you to comment on how the process that's under way is actually one that reinforces the importance of committee work.