Unfortunately, because I have only four minutes, I'm restricted in the number of questions I can ask.
I do want to engage you, Mr. Lortie, on something you said earlier, that is, on whether or not it would be appropriate to have the Commissioner of Canada Elections removed from Elections Canada and put over to the DPP's office. We obviously agree with that. To us it's a matter of independence.
The point, which I will raise with subsequent witnesses as well, is that when the Commissioner of Canada Elections was here, he maintained that he currently does have independence but under questioning from me, he admitted that the Chief Electoral Officer hires him, has the ability to fire him, and quite frankly can direct the Commissioner of Canada Elections into conducting investigations.
I don't know about you, Mr. Lortie, but in my world, if somebody can hire me, fire me, and tell me what to do, that person is my boss and therefore I'm not independent. We believe it is appropriate to remove him, give him full independence, so that he or she, depending on who becomes commissioner years hence, would have the ability to determine his or her own investigations.
They can certainly receive requests and appeals from anyone, including the Chief Electoral Officer, but the Commissioner of Canada Elections would determine himself whether it would be appropriate to go forward with an investigation. I consider that to be true independence.
I appreciate your comments and I agree with you, Mr. Lortie, when you say there still has to be close communication between administrations, in other words, the Chief Electoral Officer and Elections Canada and the commissioner. If they want to suggest an investigation take place, the Commissioner of Canada Elections has to know the background. They have to know the relevant information. Clearly that has to take place and I believe it would. But we're saying that to maintain clear independence and the perception of independence and no interference, we would remove the Commissioner of Canada Elections from his current status as being beholden, frankly, to Elections Canada and put him into a position where he's truly independent.
I'd just like you, in the few moments we have left, to add some comments on that.