Public Safety committee  Well, I agree with what you're proposing. What more can I say? I think that's appropriate.

Public Safety committee  I'm not sure that I understand that question. Clause 14—

Public Safety committee  Do you have any particular subclause in mind?

Public Safety committee  What I think I wanted to say was that the information sought under subclause 13(2) as it's presently drafted would not permit solicitor-client exchange, and that the solicitor-client privilege under our charter would preclude that disclosure without the benefit of a warrant.

Public Safety committee  I'm sure your legal advisers can be more specific, but I'd surprised if they didn't see that as a problem.

Public Safety committee  I think you could penetrate a lot of sources of information with warrants, and I think for the right of access under subclause 13(2), if you were to obtain a warrant from a Federal Court judge disclosing the reason why, you'd need to have, in my opinion, substantial grounds, but

Public Safety committee  The only absolute privilege that we have in Canada is the communication between solicitor and client. I think subclause 13(2) invades that, where they say specifically that: The information includes information that is protected by litigation privilege or solicitor-client privi

Public Safety committee  I would look to the U.K., and I would be surprised if.... Mind you, they do not have charter protection. We have. But I would think, based on the common law in the U.K. and tradition and what they call their “common law charter”, that they would not permit that disclosure.

Public Safety committee  Not that I'm aware of, but remember, I'm not particularly familiar with this. That stood out as soon as I read the act: that it would be very difficult to get that past constitutional scrutiny.

Public Safety committee  Let me begin by apologizing for getting the time confused. I was labouring under eastern time, and I should have known better. I will be very brief. The only comment of consequence is with respect to subclause 13(2), where the “information” includes information that penetrates t

Public Safety committee  You are correct, but I am in favour of oversight. The purpose of the national security adviser would serve that purpose. It would be a form of oversight. We're faced in this world of terrorism with a very...it's indescribable what the risk is. We have to be prepared to give aut

Public Safety committee  To me, the lack of a national security adviser is an impediment that runs the danger of the objectives of the bill not being achieved.

Public Safety committee  In answer to that, I would begin by saying that we have to have trust in our law enforcement people. You can speculate that a rogue enforcement officer might go beyond his jurisdiction for mischief. You can't guard against the odd black sheep. But taken as a whole, I'm satisfied

Public Safety committee  That question, I take it, is directed to me.

Public Safety committee  Let me answer it. As a preface to answering, let me say that I did not intend to make a presentation, but I should introduce to you the reason for that. The reason is that I have appeared before committees of this kind on this subject, and my position has been to support the legi