Thank you very much.
In terms of the composition of the commission itself, Bill C-42 allows for the appointment of a chairperson, as well as up to four additional members of the commission. These are Governor in Council appointments by the government, and these are the individuals who will lead that organization and have certain powers within the context of the act.
To support these individuals there is a public agency that is made up of some 40 to 50 individuals. I believe you'll be hearing this week from Mr. McPhail, who's the current interim chair of the commission, and he can give you more details. It's a fairly robust body that exists to provide the support to conduct the investigations and to compile the information on complaints. That's the office in Ottawa.
In Surrey, B.C., they have an intake office that works with complainants to process the complaints and ensures that particularly those individuals who may not understand the process very well or need support can be assisted in preparing their written complaints so they can be submitted and reviewed by this agency.
These public servants form the bulk of the agency, conduct the investigations, and develop the reports, but ultimately, it is the chair, appointed by the government and acting independently within its legal mandate, that approves those reports and submits them.