Public Safety committee  It was quite a litany of very serious concerns about the Canadian no-fly list and the program. One of the responses was that the Privacy Commissioner cleared the program in 2009, at least according to the officials. I may not be doing justice to the evidence that I heard, but that was my understanding. Can you tell me if it is the current position of the Privacy Commissioner's office that the Canadian no-fly list and this program are fine as far as you're concerned?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We were provided with a five-year mandate but were given three years of funding. During the negotiation process for the settlement agreement, it was very clear that we could not operate on anything less than $25 million a year. For some strange reason, we were provided with three years of funding, which was to sunset on March 31, 2010, but were given two additional years to do our wind-down strategy, which would help us to complete things like our research agenda and so on.

Finance committee  It might be, for example, that if somebody who wants to conduct a transaction sends however much money to that jurisdiction, we might want to say “produce your ID again”, just to verify, or there might be a provision for having a bank manager verify the transaction to make sure it's clear that it's a legitimate transaction.

Public Safety committee  I'm very disturbed by this U.S. secure flight program and I'm not entirely sure what the answers are, but what I hear the witnesses saying is that we don't really have any clear basis for even having such a program. There's been no evidence that's really demonstrated that Canadians need to provide this information, that there's any valid security concern that will come from it.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There was a complexity in the treatment required, based on a community-based setting that seemed appropriate to the needs of the community and the individual. I'm not clear on whether or not he would have been able to access the same level of service on an individual basis. Is that your experience as well?

Finance committee  To the extent that any person contravenes their responsibilities outlined in the law, that's a clear contravention of the law. But I'm not an expert on the judicial system and how it would proceed.

Constitution Act, 2010 (Senate term limits)  He said: The Government of Quebec does not believe that this falls exclusively under federal jurisdiction. Given that the Senate is a crucial part of the Canadian federal compromise, it is clear to us that under the Constitution Act, 1982, and the Regional Veto Act, the Senate can be neither reformed nor abolished without Quebec's consent. That same day, the Quebec National Assembly adopted the following motion: That the National Assembly of Québec reaffirm to the federal government and to the Parliament of Canada that no modification to the Canadian Senate may be carried out without the consent of the Government of Québec and the National Assembly.

International Trade committee  It makes more sense, if people aren't prepared to act on these recommendations, that an independent group be set up, but one in which the government has committed to respond to the reaction. So I repeat, it would be really important in the amendment that it be clear that it not only be a prior assessment, but that it be independently carried out and that there be a commitment to act on the results and recommendations. All those three things are missing right now.

Public Safety committee  Several cases have already been reported when Canadians have been denied boarding by the U.S. even for domestic flights in Canada. That includes the case of Abdullah Almalki, who, after having his name cleared in Canada by the Iacobucci inquiry, was denied boarding on an Air Canada flight between Toronto and Windsor last December. He was told by Air Canada that he was on the U.S. no-fly list.

Finance committee  Yes, it is a voluntary code of conduct in the first instance, but the minister has made it clear that should members not adopt the code, he will make it involuntary.

International Trade committee  There is also some question about its independence, because it will be written by people from Foreign Affairs, who are already close to the agreement as such. Nor is it clear that it will be possible to respond to any recommendations the study may make. If we get a report that lists all the negative impacts, if we read it and put it on the shelf, there is no sense in it.

Finance committee  Stakeholders have until May 17 to let the government know whether they will adopt that code. The minister has been quite clear that if the stakeholders do not adopt the code, he will proceed to regulate. At that time, once the regulations are in force, the FCAC would monitor regulations. In the meantime, though, the new legislative provisions also give the Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency the authority to monitor compliance with the code of conduct.

International Trade committee  For some countries, we know that there are much greater possibilities of an increase in Canadian exports than for our exports to Colombia. The Bloc Québécois is clear that this free trade agreement is not just about increasing exports or protecting Colombian citizens. It is much more about providing protection in Colombia through investment. Pure and simple.

Constitution Act, 2010 (Senate term limits)  If we go back to the previous Liberal government that was elected in 1993, by the year 2001 all 104 senators would have been appointed by one individual, resulting in no opposition in committees. I am not clear how that would serve the interests of democracy in the long run. I do not have any specific suggestions, although I think it should be a longer term and there should be staggering. However, I believe there certainly has to be some debate on creating a viable opposition because I have seen with my own eyes what happens when a democracy is overtaken by one party.

Finance committee  So we're basically amending the act to enable the corporation to enter into any type of transaction that has as a main objective to manage its portfolio risks that are necessary or desirable for the financial management of the corporation. EDC lawyers were of the view that the current wording in the act was not clear enough, and they had requested such change. This was also a recommendation made in the context of the 2008 legislative review of the Export Development Act, and this recommendation was also accepted and supported by the government's response to that legislative review.