I appreciate Mr. Saxton's comments and I agree entirely that we're fortunate in Canada to have a doctor of Dr. Taylor's calibre serving in this role. My concerns have nothing to do with the individual or his good faith. They has to do with the structure of this agency, what would be called in Ottawa parlance the machinery of government. We've heard a number of witnesses speak about just how wrong-headed that arrangement is. Mr. Culbert, for example, talked about having two individuals both giving advice to the minister; and it's bureaucracy 101, public admin 101, that you have one over the other. That's just one example.
To have an official of this importance being subordinate to a bureaucrat is also of great concern to so many people across the land who've looked at this. My concern is not with the individual; it's with the structure of this.
Mr. Adler says that the powers to communicate remain unchanged. In fact, they're nowhere to be found in the statute, so I don't accept that and I think we need clarity. I know from other situations, that, for example, the Information Commissioner of Canada does not have the power to speak out publicly to promote access to information. She's said many times she wanted that power; the silence didn't give it to her. I'm saying the same thing in this context, Mr. Chair.