My understanding is that the OAS application form collects information about residency, and the GIS application needs information about your income and also about who you're living with, so the vast majority of the information is on the income tax return. There may be a small modification needed for the income tax return so that it can trigger the GIS, but my understanding is--and I'm no expert on this--that you don't even need legislative change, because the act does not prescribe the application form, which is why the department now can mail prefilled letters to people to apply for the GIS. You don't need the legislation to do this based on the income tax return.
I want to make one comment about computer files and linking of computer files. When you apply for old age security, you give HRDC the right to see your income tax return, so the provision is there. For those who've applied for old age security, that's how they can claw back your OAS.
An example that comes to my mind is that if you cross the border and fill in one of those customs forms, and you're collecting EI, you could be in some serious problems because HRDC people, who run EI, will see your customs forms. We can compare files, and certainly HRDC uses income tax returns to make sure you've reported your income properly for the GIS and for the OAS clawback. All we have to do is ask if we can now use this computer linkage to find people and give them money, rather than use the computer linkage to find ways to deny benefits to people.