As I mentioned in the opening statement, I'm satisfied that on balance an informed person looking at the entire bill, and at the measures that are being introduced, realistically and practically would conclude that the perception is very low. However, the perception is important to me in that it's important to maintain the confidence of the public in the administration of justice. It's not only necessary that I act independently but that I also be seen as acting independently.
The hiring and firing provisions caused me some concern at the outset, because it might be perceived that if I'm hiring the person who is to be the commissioner, when it comes time for me to assess the results of that person's investigation in a fair, objective, and independent fashion, someone might say, well, you're going to favour someone whom you've hired. Likewise, when it comes to the firing power, there might be a perception among some that if I can fire for cause, which would include the ability to fire for incompetence, I have some power to, in a sense, oversee the type and quality of the investigations.
Now, when you take these considerations and measure them against the safeguards I mentioned at the outset, I believe this perception is not well founded. Nevertheless, I thought this committee should be aware that there is a possibility that some might have that perception.