Thank you, Chair.
Thank you all for taking the time to be with us today.
Mr. Shore and Madame Sabourin, I have in front of me your brief, which you submitted ahead of today's meeting. I'd like to take a moment to thank you both, because it touches on quite a few valuable pieces here and certainly highlights your knowledge on this topic. In that brief, you mention the importance of avoiding a regime in which the compliance burden ends up deterring legitimate engagement. It's taken up much of today's conversation.
I want to latch on to something you said earlier, Mr. Shore, which I think is an important note, on the value of lobbying within our democracy. Your point was that many associate it with something sinister, as you said. As I was out on a walk the other day, I stepped into my local Java U—which, I will add, has much better coffee than what we have here on the Hill—and in that short time they highlighted a parking challenge they have. Now, that's municipal jurisdiction, but I'm quite happy that they felt comfortable speaking with me and engaging with me. They didn't feel as though it was going to lead to this pile of paperwork after the fact. I'd like to offer you the opportunity to expand on the importance of this legitimate engagement and perhaps on what most don't recognize as important and legitimate engagement, as well as how you believe the overly onerous compliance might challenge this.