I began just by apologizing, in French, that I would not be speaking in French.
The key difference between parliamentarians being in person and witnesses being online goes to two things, first of all. As some of the literature shows now with parliaments and what we've seen in some jurisdictions in Asia during the pandemic in particular but also in Europe, you can bring in witnesses from around the world much more easily, so it expands who can actually speak to parliamentarians.
The other reason goes back to a point that was raised earlier. When you have witnesses online, it's okay if we're all treated the same and we all have the same status, but when parliamentarians are online, you do tend to notice—and I've watched the House of Commons with real interest on this—that the power dynamic is enforced. You do get the ministers or the shadow ministers, and the regular parliamentarian is left off a bit. That's why one of my recommendations coming out of the pandemic was that speakers lists be revisited and that the Speaker be able to choose and recognize more people in Parliament to make it more inclusive.
I argue that this is essential because then people will actually have more opportunities to speak and perhaps parties will be more inclusive in their lists of speakers as well.