Thank you for this.
Yes, I think it would be a major shift. Most countries are aligning themselves toward that major shift. Why today, why in 2008 as opposed to in 1998 or 1988, is because countries generally understand better what is required to fight large criminal conspiracies, organized crime, and terrorism in recent years, and basically we need to give ourselves the means.
Methods that were used sporadically and in exceptional, very serious cases are now, we find out, needed to be used more routinely. Therefore, programs such as this one have acquired a new importance.
If you look internationally, ten years ago there would have been at least fifty countries that had no witness protection program that now have protection programs. It is basically a movement, and the movement is because we have realized the need to fight against criminal conspiracies across borders as well.
The next level of this, which I haven't elaborated on, is that the trend is for countries to cooperate with each other. Basically, Canada is one of the countries that is most open to cooperating with other countries on a needs basis.