For those who have been with me on the committee on this topic, everyone knows that I like the idea of this piece of infrastructure. It is important industrial infrastructure and I think it pays for itself, so I buy into that line of reasoning. When we had the folks here from Nalcor Energy in Newfoundland, they demonstrated how making their data publicly available has really driven growth and foreign investment in the industry. We'd like to see that across spheres.
I want to drill down a little more on the level and type of independence that we are looking for. When I come to this committee, I wear my politics on my sleeve. When Mr. Genuis comes, he wears his. When academics or bureaucrats who are involved in running the organization come, they're not necessarily up front about their politics, but that's not to say they don't have them.
Ms. Gattinger, when you talked about NEB either approving or rejecting projects, in my mind that was already predetermining an issue and stating a political bias. NEB either rejects projects, or they say how, and they put hundreds of conditions on some projects. In Newfoundland and Labrador's case, it's the C-NLOPB. It's not a question of yes or no; it's a question of no or how. We want to make sure there is a path to “how”, because if there is no path to “how”, there is no industrial benefit ultimately from this.
I want quick perspectives from each of the three of you on the level of independence you are looking for, and the model of independence. Does it have to be independent of customers? Does it have to be independent of government entirely? Is it an agency of government that reports to Parliament? What level of independence are you looking for?
Maybe we'll start with the people from Calgary this time.