Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would also like to thank all the witnesses who are here today.
I would like to begin by correcting what appear to be two misstatements, Mr. Cannavino, in your presentation. It would be on the third last page, in the first paragraph, second sentence, where you say the leader of the opposition has suggested that the Prime Minister is attempting to “manipulate the judge selection process”.
I believe, if you look at all the statements of the leader of the opposition—I'm assuming you're referring to the leader of the official opposition—his comments about manipulating the judge selection process were aimed at the fact that changes were made without any prior consultation, as has been the practice of past governments, including Progressive Conservative ones—that prior consultations take place before any modification to the process or to the composition—and secondly, at the fact that the federal government was removing the judges' vote, again without prior consultation, and increasing the number of federal government appointments from three to four. They were not in reference to the fact that the government would be, of its own choice, appointing law enforcement.
So I'd like to correct that.