The parliamentary secretary is here.
The normal practice here, in the two years that I've chaired this committee, is not to have the minister here. We typically have the parliamentary secretary sitting as one of the government members and we typically have Department of Justice officials here. So there's nothing uncommon about what we're doing today.
I know you're new to the committee. I don't believe there's any requirement that we have the minister or someone representing the minister at the other end of the table. The parliamentary secretary is here. Actually, we have two parliamentary secretaries; you're getting a bonus.