Thank you.
First of all, you mentioned a former system, the one under the previous commissioner, Mr. Keyserlingk, and the reports that he tabled in the House.
You are right to say that there were very few complaints. This is one of the reasons which prompted the government to create a new system. This is the main reason why the tribunal was established. You can understand that, with the establishment of this tribunal, the public servants will not be so fearful about lodging a complaint with the commissioner's office, that they now know they are protected by the act and that, following the commissioner's investigation, the file may be referred to the tribunal.
As for the $2 million, I would clarify that I am not the one who has set the budget. The Office of Public Service Values and Ethics had the file before the tribunal was set up. If I understand correctly, the budget was set based on the number of cases that could be filed. The people from this office were also basing themselves on already existing tribunals that had the same number of employees as us. They considered travel costs, the fact that we may have to travel to the regions to hear complaints, and so on and so forth. I was given this budget. I was appointed two days before the act came into effect.
With respect to the number of cases, that is very difficult to determine. It will depend on a certain number of factors: first of all, the number of cases that the commissioner may receive; then, the number of cases that the commissioner may choose to refer to the tribunal; and then there is the fact that cases may be heard in Ottawa or in the regions. Indeed, if the employees who have filed a complaint live outside Ottawa, there will be travel and accommodation costs. Finally, there is the complexity of the cases. The more complex the case, the more time it will take and the higher the costs will be. I must manage my budget without knowing how many cases will be submitted. I'm trying to remain as flexible as possible.