Information & Ethics committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. First, thank you for having invited me to meet with the committee. Before I proceed, I wish to introduce my officials who are with me today: the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Robert Benson; the Director, Strategy and Policy, Mr.

Information & Ethics committee  I would imagine there are a number of different purposes served by your offices being open, and I don't want to comment on those.

Information & Ethics committee  It could be, and there's always an opportunity some weeks later to raise the issue--

Information & Ethics committee  Or if you're lucky enough to have an MP who would like to bring the matter forward.

Information & Ethics committee  Not that I know of, although I haven't been party to all of those discussions.

Information & Ethics committee  I would not take that step. That's a personal comment, not a comment on a theory about who should take the next step, or how.

Information & Ethics committee  That, in fact, is just the nature of the legislation.

Information & Ethics committee  It means the inquiries we have just been referring to.

Information & Ethics committee  It's certainly something that Bill C-2 would change. Although I wasn't there at the time, I imagine in the first instance as the government was introducing the possibilities of inquiries, their interest was in the ministers and parliamentary assistants, etc. As time went on this interest widened, I would say, which is how then you see it reflected in Bill C-2.

Information & Ethics committee  I'll refer the question to the deputy commissioner.

Information & Ethics committee  That's correct.

Information & Ethics committee  That's another question.

Information & Ethics committee  We did bring it to the committee. It was a result of questions raised at the committee.

Information & Ethics committee  I doubt we sent it through Canada Post, although it's possible.

Information & Ethics committee  That's possible. Clearly you haven't received it for sure. I think that's true. But anyway, we will re-send it.