From the Liberal Party of Canada's perspective, obviously it's a critical issue that we need to address in terms of third parties. I've already outlined some of the ways in which we are trying to both address those issues and constantly improve on them within the Liberal Party.
On the issue, more broadly, of PIPEDA's application to political parties, I think we would hope that one of the serious considerations that this committee would take under advisement is the fundamental difference—I would say, founded in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms—between political participation or engagement and commercial activity. Our courts have recognized that in a number of places, including in protection of freedom of speech, etc.
If we are going to develop rules, we need to develop rules that work for all people who participate in the political process in this country. I say that from the perspective of a party that had approximately 80,000 volunteers, I think, in the last election. We need rules that work for the volunteer who's an 18-year-old, just got interested in politics, belongs to a campus club and is signing up his friends, all the way to more sophisticated people who have worked on a variety of campaigns.
From our perspective, whatever rules are developed need to recognize that fundamental reality, that political parties are voluntary associations of volunteers, fundamentally, and that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers to every paid staff member. It would be a real disincentive to participation in the political process if people could face the kinds of penalties that exist for corporations, for instance, for non-compliance under PIPEDA. It would actually have a chilling effect, I believe, on our political process to do so.