Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As I said in my preliminary remarks, I would change the powers granted to the commissioner. I think those powers are more than what is necessary and are too similar to the powers or basic responsibility of a minister. Let me be very clear: Mr. Goodale is not in question here. I am speaking from an institutional standpoint.
I would give CSE the very clear and unambiguous power to assist the provinces. The current wording of the act generally limits what CSE can do to federal government institutions. Everything is connected these days. Failure to give CSE the power to intervene in the provinces and the private sector—something it currently does—sends a somewhat unclear message.
I am not necessarily suggesting a change to the bill. As I said, it is generally speaking a good bill. Having worked at CSIS and been a national security advisor, I am starting to be concerned about what is being asked of the institutions subject to review by Mr. Blais and his colleagues, as well as the Federal Court. Taken together, the new committee of parliamentarians, the new SIRC, the commissioner, and the Federal Court place a significant weight on government institutions.
When I went to CSIS, I was really surprised to see that most applications made to the Federal Court ran to some 150 pages, even the shortest ones. I'm not saying that too much is demanded in any particular case, but rather that this requires a lot of resources. I am not convinced the government provides its institutions with enough resources to conduct the effective review for which Mr. Blais is responsible.