I think it's tremendously important. I think this is what gives citizens the reassurance that information is not being hidden from them. What is of tremendous challenge is when there are exceptions to access that may be applied, but if, as the oversight body, you're not able to see those records or to obtain information to verify that the exception applies, then it's very difficult to do that job and to provide that reassurance to a citizen who's applied for access.
In effect there can be a large black hole, either intentionally, because a public body might not want to release information, or in some cases because a public body doesn't understand how the exceptions apply. That goes back to consistency of interpreting and applying the legislation as well. Over time, as an oversight body, particularly through the inquiry and order-issuing function, as I said in my opening comments, a body of jurisprudence is established that helps public bodies understand how to apply these things and what the test is associated with a particular exception to access.
Nonetheless, we still see matters that come to us where that test is not applied the way it has been applied previously, so I think we provide not only that reassurance to citizens—the independent oversight I think is tremendously important—but also the consistency in interpreting and applying the legislation.