It's good to speak to someone who has a knowledge of the process, as you obviously do in Ontario. As you know, by the way, in Ontario with Mr. Gerry McNeely, they actually put in another piece, which had been absent for 13 years. It not only looks at complaints but looks at broader issues of policy and things of that nature. So I was influenced by the good work Ontario is doing, looking at the recommendations I put forward as well.
Yes, in terms of the budget and the taser, I would have to think in terms of providing information to the minister and to the commissioner for them to do something. But for that, if he was going to do something at the federal level, he probably would have had to turn around and call a commission of inquiry, because we didn't have the powers. The minister currently can look to SIRC, let's say, and say, “I've got this issue. Will you go and do it?” Beyond what they self-initiate, he can actually ask them to do something. That's not on the books for us. I proposed that the minister be given that ability where he can come to us and say, “Will you look at it?” So in this case we did it. Kudos to Mr. Day for having done it.
It was fortuitous that just prior to that we had the supplementary money, $3.7 million, for the current fiscal year. That put us in a position to go and fulfill that mandate. Was there value to that work? I believe so, because the commissioner has come out and indicated that they have changed their policy, and there were 22 recommendations. That was done; we had an interim report back to him within two or three weeks, I think, and then a full report within six months, and we've had follow-up action. So value for money? I would think so.