I think that's a good question. Some of the provisions of the Federal Accountability Act did in fact come into effect upon royal assent--for example, the designation of deputy ministers and deputy heads as accounting officers; the Director of Public Prosecutions Act, which was a very complex portion of the act that I was involved with in my prior portfolio; and the new mandate for the Auditor General to follow the money to grant and contribution recipients.
Certainly when I was in my prior portfolio I saw that the government was moving as quickly as it could. For example, I think they could have sat and waited for the Director of Public Prosecutions Act to be passed and then commence. In fact in that situation it was felt we could proceed on that issue, and we did. Also, the new electoral financing rules came into effect on January 1. Restriction on gifts to political candidates comes into force on June 12. Other sections either require new regulations or require organizations to perform new functions.