Mr. Chen has offered me some of his time.
In respect to this issue, it's critical to understand this committee is the master of its own process. Apropos of what Mr. Chen has indicated, the matters the committee wishes to study can be determined by the subcommittee on procedure here at this committee earlier than a five-year period or later than a five-year period.
In terms of the point made by Ms. Rempel, as to whether there's an inconsistency by not implementing a mandatory review in this legislation with what is transpiring with the Bill C-14 issue, there is absolutely no inconsistency. That undermines the notion that somehow what is applied for with one piece of legislation under a different minister, and under their mandate, must therefore be applied to every single piece of government legislation that is being enacted by the Government of Canada.
That is clearly not the way this government operates, nor is that the way that any government has operated. Decisions made with respect to whether mandatory reviews are required are made in consultation with ministerial or departmental officials relevant to that ministry, relevant to that minister's own decision-making, and also germane to the issues that are at issue within that specific legislative context.
The position being articulated by Mr. Chen is that in the context of this legislation it does not meet that threshold requiring a mandatory review, particularly when you have a standing committee populated by members of all three parties that can initiate such a review on their own volition.