Thank you, Minister, for appearing here today on this important bill. Thank you for the recognition of the role that the Honourable Rona Ambrose played in the bill getting here to this point.
Conservatives are pleased to support this legislation, and as we enter this phase of the committee doing its work, it's important for us to take a strong look at the legislation and hear from witnesses and you on the bill. We just heard from the Canadian Judicial Council and the National Judicial Institute. I know you mentioned in your remarks the importance of judicial independence, and that was a theme of some of that conversation. They've put forward a proposal for softening some of the mandatory language in the bill—for example, where it says “shall” replacing it with “should”. Can you comment on their proposal in the name of judicial independence?