I think I'd invite both of you to expand on this issue. We do seem to be getting similar testimony but then also some contradictions. It will be no surprise that as Conservatives we are reticent to support a model that would involve the creation of a whole new branch of government and expenditures. However, obviously on this issue of collecting, analyzing, and providing data, it clearly must be independent and objective and expert-based to provide evidence for policy-makers and decision-makers.
Previous testimony from Stats Canada reinforced what you're saying and what we all know about the variety of bodies from which energy data comes—provincial and territorial regulatory bodies, industry associations, and Stats Canada. Stats Canada also contended that they already have a model for a single information hub, and they believe they have models that could be adapted for these specific purposes, although there was then follow-up testimony from others saying that at one point their model was world-leading and now maybe is ineffective and out of date and requires some improvements.
I'm trying to figure out if really what's required here is a mandate or direction from the federal government to require the sharing of information among these regulatory bodies, like automatic reporting—I'm not sure why that doesn't happen—but hopefully not requiring a whole new branch.
Given that maybe that's part of it, that the feds have to say that this has to happen, do either of you think it is possible that the organization that manages it could be completely supported or be in the private sector and have a relationship like that with government, rather than being embedded right in a department and reporting?