Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses who are here in person and online. Your participation is noted and very valuable to us, so I thank you for that.
I'd like to inform all our panellists that this bill is going to pass. It is receiving consent and approval from everybody on this committee. I bring that to your attention because I want to start off by questioning you, Mr. Budgell, and I listened very carefully to your commentary.
You indicated that the justice system is in crisis, and that Bill C-9 can't be fixed and shouldn't be enacted. I did a little bit of research on your background, sir, and I understand that the National Post has proclaimed you “a self-appointed citizen watchdog” of the CJC.
I understand that, in one of your blog posts, you've opined that Parliament has a unique opportunity “to create an entity fully independent from both the judiciary and the executive branch to receive complaints and decide how to respond to them”. In your opinion, “this is the right solution. It always has been.” In your view, the fundamental problem with the CJC is that “[j]udges judging judges doesn't work.”
I take it, sir, that you still stand by that position.