If I may, Mr. Chairman, with respect to clause 99 and the absence of a requirement to consult, my colleagues have indicated that consultations are ongoing with the provinces with respect to several matters, including allocation eligibility criteria and eventual payments. Those consultations with the provinces will continue for some time. The regulations to establish the basis for those payments have not been drafted, and they won't be drafted until the federal government has had an opportunity to complete its consultations with the provinces.
The payments would not be made, in any event, until the conclusion of at least the first year under the agreement. There may be other arrangements. I haven't been part of discussions as to whether there might be payments made more frequently than annually. If one were to take the example of arrangements that were made under the 1996 softwood lumber agreement and the 1986 MOU between Canada and the United States, Canada made obligations to make payments to the provinces in a similar way.
In 1996 there was no legislation establishing that requirement. However, it was done in an orderly fashion in consultation with the provinces. In respect of the 1996 agreement, this was accomplished. Since there wasn't legislation, it was done by way of contribution agreements between the federal government and the four covered provinces.
Under the legislation that implemented the 1986 MOU between Canada and the United States, there was a requirement that was very similar to the arrangement under clause 99. That arrangement was actually implemented in consultation with the provinces. The provinces expect that. Officials in the departments that will be implementing the legislation are fully prepared and on track to do that consultation, regardless of the fact that the clause is silent on any such requirement.
So all that to say that despite the silence with respect to requiring consultation, it is a part of the practice. It has been under two previous agreements, and it will be under the proposed legislation.