Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. There is some progress in the committee.
I'd like to move NDP-11.
The intent of this amendment is that given that we have assigned greater responsibility and more technical responsibilities to SIRC implicitly in this bill, we should increase the expertise and the all-party agreement in the appointments to SIRC. Historically we've had a tradition that was followed, in which senior members, former cabinet ministers or public servants, were appointed to SIRC, with the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition and any other party.
What has subsequently happened is that names are sent to other party leaders, and their response is ignored. We've had some appointments to SIRC of people with questionable qualifications. Again, the purpose was to match the expansion of the powers of CSIS and the responsibilities of SIRC with an increase both in the expertise of those appointed and then the necessity to get consensus on the appointments.