Thank you, Chair.
As you might have predicted, on our side we have an entirely different view. The measures contained in this amendment would remove from Bill C-15 a very important provision that is very much in the spirit of the military justice system and in the spirit of modernizing that system. It is a complement—complement with two Es—to the mandate and role of the provost marshal, which is being given legislative form here in an unprecedented way elsewhere in the bill.
This part of this clause explicitly shows the need, and enshrines the need, for the manner in which the military justice system, as it relates to the provost marshal, has to balance the interests of justice with those of military operations. And as both the provost marshal said as a witness here, and the VCDS said here, this is not a challenge to the independence or the professionalism with which the provost marshal and the military police will conduct investigations. It is a recognition that they will have to conduct investigations from time to time in extraordinary circumstances, on a battlefield in a dynamic environment, an unprecedented environment, where we've sent the Canadian Forces because they have the capabilities to operate there, and where the duty of care that we all have towards the Canadian Forces requires that there be an operational point of contact, in this case one point of contact, with the police. This point of contact would allow the chain of command to inform the provost marshal or indeed instruct the provost marshal if necessary with regard to certain circumstances that might affect an investigation.
That enhancement of accountability in the spirit of the military justice system also contains a transparency provision set out in 18.4 and 18.5 that will ensure that this VCDS and his successors are true to the spirit and letter of their commitment, which is to use this provision rarely and to use it to shore up the independence of investigations, not to compromise them in any way.