Thank you, Mr. Chair, that's a very useful clarification. In that case, I would be grateful to respond.
Yes, indeed, if a declaration is made that revokes citizenship, the minister must be assured that there is a valid citizenship in another country. We can't, as a nation, create a stateless person. We have an international obligation not to do so under the convention against statelessness. While it's an obligation in law, given that this is the only section of the act that allows the minister to revoke Canadian citizenship, this is an important protection to make sure that the minister, under consideration, turns his or her attention to the question of whether or not there is, on the balance of probabilities, a valid citizenship for that person in another country.