In terms of what you're saying, a lot of the testimony has been that “high-level” is too broad and takes in too much stuff, particularly in the schedules. Will you be helping the minister with some amendments to this?
You know what our problem is. People were invited to an information session—today's testimony was a bit different—that they now perceive was a one-way communication. Every concern they then expressed they expressed again here at committee. They do not feel that their concerns were reflected in the new bill. Continuing to consult on the regs when people have serious concerns with the bill isn't going to do the trick for those of us who heard the witnesses and are worried that what may be “high-level” is too broad or has unintended consequences around security clearances and duplication.
Both B.C. and Ontario are upset. They're also upset with being treated like a stakeholder instead of a partner. Somehow the pre-work to bring a bill to the Parliament of Canada doesn't seem to have been done, in terms of the two-way communication needed to get a better bill.
Concerning my comments last week that the minister was let down, I believe that in any kind of stakeholder engagement people need to feel that they were heard. If you're not able to do what they said, then it is our requirement to go back to them to say: “you said this; we're not going to be able to do it because of Y”; or, “you said this, but harmonizing with the world means we have to do this”. The concern we had, that two big universities in the States have stopped dealing with certain pathogens because of this too-restrictive regime, is very worrying to us, as a deterrent to getting a safe Canada; certain people just think it's too expensive or complicated to do the research that is required.
I want to ask again. On quality assurance around citizen engagement, you heard a lot of stuff that a lot of witnesses say is not reflected in the new bill. Could you, even at your own agency, go back to find out what you heard and table for us what you heard and tell us why you can't do it? Why is it not reflected in the bill?