First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming. I do have the utmost respect for what each and every one of you do. I thank you very much for sharing your time with us here today.
I want to touch a little bit on Mr. Arya's comments and Mr. Poilievre's comments, and I guess Mr. Christopherson's comments too, in terms of information sharing. My comments are going to be brief.
I also look at paragraphs 7 and 8 of the text of the Auditor General's comments, which Mr. Poilievre referenced, which indicate that in 38 cases, information was only shared in two of them, and on a subject on which it should have been possible to share information on some level. From an outside perspective, it should have been possible to share that information.
I think sometimes when we talk about the sharing of information, it can be as simple as the not sharing of information. It's about identifying among departments and organizations the information there that's pertinent to a case, but it can't be released at any one time; and it's about making sure that each department is aware that this information is there, and that the department in question would like to release it cannot do so. There needs to be some collaboration among departments in recognition of what each department's trying to do to facilitate the common goal, which is to keep Canadians safe, and to ensure that the people who want to become citizens of this country have the ability to become citizens, while at the same time protecting the citizens who are already here.
I think it's the same in paragraph 8,. The agency only shared information with the department in 11 of 38 cases. Well, it's as simple as indicating that there is pertinent information that cannot be released at any one given time, but that when it's pertinent, when it's able to be released, it will be released; that there is relevant information there that will affect a case and definitely change the direction of somebody's citizenship case.
I was wondering if you would comment on that, Jamie, as to whether you think that's relevant. Do you think that's something that's possible? Do you think that departments do a better job of collaboratively working together? When I look at the five points that were brought up in the opening comments of Ms. Biguzs, I noticed that it's not something that was identified. There's not a clear definition of how we're going to move forward with information sharing among not only departments, but government agencies as well.
Then I have a brief question for Mr. Orr after.