Madam Chair, we need to read again Clause 4 in its entirety to see that what has been said here this morning is not true. It is not true that there will be a strict obligation placed on the Parole Board to notify the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development in order for a cheque to be issued. That is not true at all. Furthermore, we do not transfer, contrary to what some people here have said, the responsibility to the Correctional Service. The individual remains responsible for the information. Let us read the clause as it is written. It says:
"If the application by a person described in subsection 5(3) is approved while that person is incarcerated [...]"
So we are talking here about an incarcerated person. Let us read further:
[...] payment of their pension shall commence in respect of the month in which they are released [...]
So we are still talking about a person who is incarcerated. Let us read on:
[...] but only after they [...]
We are still talking about the incarcerated person. And we add:
[...] or the Correctional Service of Canada [...]"
This is what is written. It could be the Correctional Service. Let me continue:
[...] with the authorization of the incarcerated person [...]
The detainee still remains the primary person responsible for this information. We must read the text as it is written. Let us not give it a meaning it does not have. Once that person authorizes the action to be done on his or her behalf, it gets done. It does not change anything in the intent of the bill or the responsibility of the incarcerated person. This remains. Where it says "they", we are still talking about the incarcerated person. Nowhere does it say that the responsibility is being transferred and that the responsibility belongs solely to the Correctional Service. This is not what it says at all.
The Correctional Service acts only when it gets the authorization from the incarcerated person. As for personal information, Ms. Birba is right, this is dealt with in Clause 11. So personal information is another matter.
It seems to me that we are raising here dangers that do not exist and imminent dangers of lawsuits that do not exist. The incarcerated person is fully responsible for notifying... If they want help, they can authorize the Correctional Service to do so on their behalf.