Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for appearing here today. I appreciate seeing Mr. MacLauchlan here again as well.
Minister, there's something that came up in last year's appointment. It was the first time, in 2006, with the appointment of Justice Rothstein, that a parliamentary committee—and all of us around this table are members of Parliament—was involved the process of the appointment. Under our Constitution, the parliamentary committee has no right to veto an appointment; that prerogative rests with the Prime Minister and with you.
Later this afternoon, we are going to have an ad hoc committee meeting, to which these members are invited. It's going to be in the parliamentary precinct in the West Block. It's going to be chaired by a professor and not by a duly elected member of Parliament.
Our committee role is really an interview with the nominee. We do not have a veto. This is the one instance of Parliament's involvement in the process, and I think it's a good involvement. Peter Hogg thinks it's a good process. Also, even though we're not in the same party, I have confidence in our chair's ability to chair that meeting.
I mentioned the process to your predecessor, Minister Lametti. I feel that if there's a meeting of parliamentarians on Parliament Hill as part of an official process, it should be chaired by a member of Parliament. That is to take no umbrage with your choice of the chair this evening; it's just to say that this small piece that we're involved in should be wholly our process.
I'd like to get your thoughts and your response to that, Minister.