I'll make this brief.
I really appreciate Mr. MacGregor for bringing up this subamendment, and I am hearing the concerns from Madame Michaud very clearly.
I think I could accept eight meetings, but, if we're going to be travelling, we have to understand that they aren't going to be the two-hour meetings that we usually have here in Ottawa. If we're going to go to a place like Whitehorse, we'd be having a meeting substantially longer than two hours, because we need to have an opportunity for witnesses to be heard if people are going to be coming in from the community.
We need at least eight meetings. If the committee finds, at the end of seven meetings, that we feel that we've left out important groups and that we need a couple of additional meetings, then I think we're leaving that open in this amendment by saying “at least eight” and we can add to those meetings at a later date.
I hope, with the understanding that they'll be longer than two hours, that “at least eight” is acceptable and that, if needed, we could add additional ones if the committee wants.
I'm going to end my remarks there, and I hope we can get the committee's support for this, because it is important to get consultation on this, and I think it helps rebuild trust with Canadians.
Thank you.