First of all, it's not surprising to pay $400 or $500 an hour for a lawyer now in order to give opinions, particularly on an area that is as confined as the trade agreement. What we're finding is oftentimes our staff will have enough information to be able to say, “This might impinge or this might have an effect”. As a result, you go out looking for a legal opinion that often is vague in and of itself because there is so little understanding or settled law in regard to the trade agreements. In fact, we've seen as a result of many of these disputes that it's difficult to understand the base for the dispute, never mind the legal arguments that are applied to it. Often those arguments are done in secret before tribunals where municipalities like us aren't allowed to participate. So it does have a chilling effect.
On February 3rd, 2014. See this statement in context.