Information & Ethics committee  As I've indicated, I haven't seen Mr. Walsh's opinion.

Information & Ethics committee  To deal with your questions in sequence, in terms of the passage that you just read from Mr. Walsh's letter, I think there's an important distinction between someone who appears before this committee and is a potential witness in a subsequent proceeding and someone like Mr. Beard

Information & Ethics committee  Again, I'm not an expert on the sub judice convention, but I can indicate that it is not the basis on which we're relying to respectfully decline certain questions that are put to us. The convention, as I understand it, covers matters where a witness is asked to testify in these

Information & Ethics committee  We did have concerns when we learned that the committee had asked for our appearance, and we wanted to be quite clear about the limits of the assistance we can provide to the committee.

Information & Ethics committee  That's my understanding.

Information & Ethics committee  Elections Canada may not lay charges without the approval of the Director of the Public Prosecution Service, in that the Director has to be consulted and apply the test for prosecuting before a charge is laid by an Elections Canada investigator.

Information & Ethics committee  That's correct. The Commissioner has the authority to decide whether he wants to negotiate what you call a compliance agreement.

Information & Ethics committee  As I said in reply to other questions I have been asked, we have been and continue to be consulted by the Elections Commissioner. However, I cannot disclose the content of those conversations. We have not received a file from the Commissioner asking the Director of the Public Pro

Information & Ethics committee  Under the Act, yes.

Information & Ethics committee  We are not investigators, we do not lay charges. Once charges are laid, we take over the case and conduct the prosecution.

Information & Ethics committee  The decision as to whether to initiate an investigation is made by the investigative agencies alone. If, in the course of an investigation, they want to obtain advice about any case under investigation, they may contact us. However, I cannot comment on the cases to which you refe

Information & Ethics committee  What kind in terms of size?

Information & Ethics committee  Our budget is about $124 million a year.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes.