Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Let me say unequivocally on the record that I would have been remiss in my role as a minister of the crown if I did not act and if I did not take the actions on behalf of our government.
Mr. Chair, we contacted both AECL and the CNSC--actions followed by a cabinet directive, and then followed by an act of Parliament--when it became very clear that the president and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission at that point was not exercising her duties in that role to put this matter before the commission, which we believe she has the statutory powers to do. Only at that point did we bring a bill before Parliament and let Parliament decide who had an opportunity.
It was also clear, Mr. Chair, that had we not acted, people invariably would have died, since medical isotopes for serious cancer procedures were not available, and we could not let that happen. We had to act, and we did.