Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and through you to the witnesses, thank you for attending today.
Mr. Leuprecht, the powers that are provided to CSIS in this legislation are not uncommon among our allies. I wonder if you could comment on the value of CSIS having these additional tools or powers, with the understanding that their main role will continue to be information gathering, but with the additional power to disrupt a threat, provided they have the permission of a judge.
When you are answering that, I would like you to compare, and I think you alluded to this in your preliminary remarks, the extent of the powers CSIS already has compared with those among our allies. You mentioned the Nordic nations. In other words, if the average Canadian out there listened to some of the witnesses, this act, if enacted by Parliament, would be the end of freedom as we know it in this country, and so I'd like you to compare this act with similar acts in Europe, because I know that you are aware of the legislation in western European countries.