I would like to ask another question.
This morning, the committee heard from Mr. Franks. He stated that in reviewing Ms. Oda's case, the committee needed to take into account the fact that a precedent already existed, namely the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of the long form census. Mr. Clement too had inferred that Statistics Canada had suggested to him that the mandatory census form be eliminated. The matter even led to the resignation of the chief statistician.
In your opinion, what can the committee learn from the fact that this is not the only time a minister attempted to justify decisions made for political reasons? The Conservatives are within their right to make decisions like this, even though we may disagree with them and even though this is a minority government. However, to suggest that the recommendations originated with senior officials, when this is not the case, is another matter entirely. It was very clear in Mr. Clement's case. He stated as much on more than one occasion.
Can we take into consideration the overall context in which this situation unfolded?