Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to begin by reminding my honourable colleagues what this meeting was all about. Our committee was given the task of reviewing division 9 of the budget implementation act 2 and providing any recommendations for amendments we may have to the Standing Committee on Finance.
It is true that the amendments we recommend must be within the scope of the section at hand. However, I note that what we have been asked to do is fairly narrow in scope; it's a fairly narrow issue here at the justice committee, which is to look at the fourth quadrennial Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission and the reaction of government to it as it is laid out in the bill. We do have the power to make some amendments.
I would also like to remind all members that committees are the masters of their own agenda and that we can unanimously agree to study whatever we wish to study.
We have the minister with us today. I recall that we had a meeting last week where we had the referral before us. We agreed that we would be meeting on this today. We asked the opposition if they felt they needed the minister here or whether officials would be sufficient.
You said you wanted the minister here. Because you wanted that, we are sitting at a different time than we usually sit—and as it fits the minister's schedule—to accommodate your request to have the minister here.
It seems to me that we as a committee agreed on that schedule and we knew the terms of reference when we did so. At your request, the minister has appeared. It would be both helpful and appropriate to hear from him, and we should move forward.