Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to work with my colleague on this file. It has been great having him as the critic for democratic institutions, particularly with respect to this piece of legislation. New Democrats are supportive of the bill and most of the elements in it. We are working hard to get this done.
As was noted, it is important to get this done in time for the 2019 election. Unfortunately, every time members went to move to clause-by-clause at committee, the Conservative members decided to filibuster. Therefore we find ourselves in a time crunch. However, I am very optimistic about moving the bill forward so we can ensure that our elections are protected.
When it comes to privacy and the issues the member raised, I would note that the particular examples he is talking about are private companies that fall under PIPEDA. The ethics committee is currently undertaking a study on this, and I look forward to hearing the results.
This is an important issue, but it requires a bit more study and I think we can find the right solutions.