The provision that provides an exemption for personal information has existed and been interpreted for 30 years. After all, it is a mandatory exemption. It reflects the fact that personal information belongs to the individual and not to the government. So it is appropriate to have a mandatory exemption and notices provided to the privacy commissioner pursuant to section 8 of the Privacy Act.
What I take issue with is that Bill C-58 proposes requiring the information commissioner to consult the privacy commissioner in all cases where institutions have given notice to the privacy commissioner. I think that will make investigations conducted under the Access Information Act virtually impossible. As I explained, it will hurt not only the efficiency, but also the integrity of investigations. That is why I have a lot of difficulty with the proposals of Bill C-58.