As for the reasons given, I'm sorry; we rarely get an explanation of why there's a refusal to co-operate, but let me make it clear that the problem starts at the authorization stage. What I mean by that is that this is a formalistic position that Consular Affairs takes—to show you how tragic the situation is.
Quite often, you will have an abused Canadian abroad who is unable to tell Consular Affairs that his family has retained me or Mr. Caroline, so the government will refuse to talk to me even though the family in Canada will say, “The guy can't talk to you; the lady can't talk to you. They're in distress, but we want the help. Please deal with Mr. Peroff, or deal with Mr. Caroline.” We get a technical response that they can't deal with us.
Now, let me give you, please, if I could, an extraordinary example. I'm dealing with a case involving a Chinese national who is also a Canadian citizen, the worst kind of case in China. This poor chap was on the run in China. He couldn't give a formal authorization. Consular Affairs refused to talk to me. I involved Mr. Pardy in this.
I finally had to orchestrate the highest-level officials at Consular Affairs to coordinate a call from Ottawa with their consulate in a certain region in China. I had to get my client to go to that consulate so that the people in Ottawa could hear the client in China, who was in distress, tell them to talk to me. That's what I had to do.
Days went by in this emergency situation before that formality was overcome, and then after that, nothing happened anyway, so it really didn't matter.
I'm taking up all the time. I'm sorry.