It's really an imbalance of resources and, as a result, power. I mean, there are 100 full-time bank lobbyists. I spend a quarter of my time on banking issues, and I'm sure John doesn't spend much more, and there are a couple of others. So it adds up to one person. When you're outmatched 100 to one, the government hears 100 times from the one side and one time from the other side.
Again, the way to balance that is to form a financial consumer organization through the pamphlet method, at no cost to government and at no cost to the institutions. Then there would be many more lobbyists on the citizens' side. It's a very simple method to put in place.
Yes, it was an open consultation. We had a chance to put in our two cents to the Department of Finance at meetings, going back to June 2005, actually, because of the election. But overall, it's just an imbalance of resources.
Where does the money for the financial institutions to do their lobbying come from? From consumers. Consumers pay for the financial institutions' lobby. We're saying, use this pamphlet method to give consumers a chance to put their dollars toward a citizen group that would lobby for their interests.