Information & Ethics committee  I think we need to have ongoing exchanges with private industry, but also with citizens, interest groups, and the academic and parliamentary communities. As for what is legal but unethical, this raises very important questions. If it is legal and unethical, should it continue to be legal?

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Fergus. I think my role with the Canadian Human Rights Commission will serve me in good stead. It has trained me well, because there are many similarities between this mandate and that of the Privacy Commissioner. The Canadian Human Rights Commission deals with fundamental legislation.

Information & Ethics committee  The assessment of the appropriateness of House or House committee decisions I would leave to the House to make. What I've said to committees is that they have the authority and the House has the authority to request documents. When they don't receive those documents, the House has certain powers, including taking steps as it did in this case.

Information & Ethics committee  In representing the Speaker of the House in this matter, we did in fact file written submissions to the Federal Court. We took the position in that case that the House had the authority to do what it did, and that the authority had not been limited by the adoption of the Canada Evidence Act.

Information & Ethics committee  I think in this matter the House made its decision. A challenge was brought, and the House and Speaker made a ruling and filed legal representations in court setting out what I, as law clerk, took to be the proper legal view, which is that the House had the legal authority to do what it did and it had not been constrained by the Canada Evidence Act.

Information & Ethics committee  This is a very important time for privacy, which is one of the many reasons I was interested in being commissioner. There needs to be modernization of the two fundamental privacy laws: the Privacy Act and PIPEDA. Parliamentarians will have a role to play, the commissioner will have a role to play, and stakeholders and industry will as well, but this is a priority.

Information & Ethics committee  I think the cases on parliamentary privilege and my work as law clerk have shown that courts have recognized, rightly, the fundamental role of Parliament, the fundamental role of the House and its committees, and the need for the House and committees to have the ability and the powers to do their work and to do so in cases covered by privilege in an autonomous way that's not going to be subject to review elsewhere.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. It's a great honour and privilege for me to appear before you today to discuss my qualifications and competencies to perform the important role of Privacy Commissioner of Canada. I will take this opportunity to thank you for all the work you do as parliamentarians in legislating, deliberating and holding the government to account.