Thanks, Madam Chair.
It sounds to me like the notion of consultation is in question here. It sounds like there seems to be an issue with the process. Everyone's taking issue with the process.
Having been someone who specialized in consultation processes, it always occurred to me that the design of those processes is important and that the communication strategy around them is really important. Just because you advertise something on the radio, or host a public hearing of some kind and put a notice up, it doesn't mean that people are necessarily going to be included. I think that's something I'm hearing across all of the comments you're making. That's a remark more than anything.
Mr. Battiste, I want to ask you this, specifically. Were any of the indigenous communities you spoke of today specifically reached out to and invited to participate in the consultation process?