In your discussions with Commissioner Therrien, he noted that he had offered his services, but that the government had chosen to use its own experts. I believe that Commissioner Therrien recognized that the government had the right to do that and that his office was not necessarily the only one with expertise.
However, where it becomes important is in terms of this trust. The fact that internal advice was sought has raised suspicions. Will these opinions be as independent as the external ones? This is a role that the commissioner can play, and this was the subject of recommendations in your report. The commissioner can do proactive audits. So he could check that, discuss it with you and then validate what you are doing. I think that would be useful.