Thank you.
I'd like to turn to Minister Virani, if I could.
You were mentioning, to paraphrase the Supreme Court, that they were going to give a high degree of deference to Parliament when legislating in this area because of how sensitive it was. When Bill C-7 was first introduced, I thought there was a very reasonable charter statement issued that explained the government's initial reasons for excluding this. Then at the eleventh hour, a very consequential Senate amendment was accepted. I think that really is the root of all the problems we're finding ourselves in today.
Do you, as a minister, now have regret about that decision?
I truly believe that this decision was putting the cart before the horse—and I'm speaking as a member of the special joint committee. We have been playing a game of catch-up ever since. The law was changed in advance of the important consultation and in advance of those committee hearings. As a result, we have had to constantly shift the timeline.
Again, why didn't the government exercise that high degree of deference, as you put it, that the Supreme Court gave you the room to exercise in the first place?