My thanks to the witnesses for being here with us today.
There are two areas I want to inquire about: witness protection and the forfeiture of property. Chief Beazley touched on the issue of witness protection. All these years, perhaps somewhat naively, I assumed that we had some kind of witness protection program. I would like to know what we do now. We've heard evidence that one of the chief weapons of organized crime is intimidation and fear—that is how they maintain their power. So it seems to me there is definitely a place for a witness protection program of some kind.
I would like to know what we do now. Who pays for it, if it's not federally funded? How many instances would you see in the Atlantic area where this might be required? What is the estimated cost per witness? This is a matter on which I would like to hear Chief Beazley and RCMP Inspector Brennan.