Thank you, Minister LeBlanc, for taking the time today. I note that you are giving us a full two hours. I don't think I've been on a committee to which a minister has given a full two hours. If I didn't know any better, I would think you enjoyed this.
I must admit, I'm concerned about some of the comments that have been made. I think it's extremely important for a debates commission such as this to be completely independent so that we can reduce the level of partisan attacks as much as possible. I'm really concerned when I hear questions about whether the WE Charity received money from the commission. Likewise, in the States I know that the Republican candidate was extremely critical of their debates commission.
How do we set up a system, or where is the commission's accountability placed, such that we can reduce the amount of partisanship as much as possible, so that it can have its own independence and autonomy, especially in the context of what you described in your opening remarks as the misinformation and the concerns that exist in this day and age? Having this independence, completely autonomous and completely separate from partisan interests, government interests or individual political parties.... Is there a way that you can see doing that?
You talked about legislating the commission, as an example, but where can we move this to in order to give it an independence that separates it from these partisan attacks?