Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I also thank the witnesses for being here with us today.
I will begin with Mr. Henschel and Ms. Marcoux, who represent the RCMP.
There has been much talk about the whole situation surrounding the destruction of data and the current conflict with the Information Commissioner. We are not necessarily talking about the process here. I think that aspect will be settled with the Information Commissioner. The problem with this bill is that the government wants to retroactively amend an act while a legal proceeding in respect to that act is ongoing.
Since you work at the RCMP and regularly conduct investigations there, I would like you to tell me how a retroactive change connected to an ongoing proceeding affects the work of the RCMP? Let's take an example. Let us suppose that legal provisions set the value of the gifts MPs may receive at $500, but that an MP receives a gift valued at $750. However, in order to protect the MP, or for some other reason, the government decides, while there is a complaint before the courts, to retroactively increase the limit for gifts to $1,000. You can just imagine the problems that this would cause, not only in that situation but also in any other investigation the RCMP might be conducting.