Public Safety committee  Yes.

Public Safety committee  Exactly, and as my colleague noted, this is similar to the requirements that are imposed on public servants who have access to this kind of information.

Public Safety committee  As part of the development of the process, a range of actors who were implicated around town were consulted on the development of this.

Public Safety committee  Yes, and also ultimately the legislative drafting section of Justice takes that and puts it into the frame that's before you now.

Public Safety committee  Perhaps I could start, and then my colleagues can add in as they see fit. Paragraph 8(b) is very much focused on determining whether or not there is a certain review, as opposed to information. At a higher level, is there a certain review of a certain matter that would be injuri

Public Safety committee  What I'd say is that it's really up to the committee to decide where they want to go in terms of where they can explore. The statute gives them a certain range of powers and there are certain restrictions, but within this framework it's up to them to decide where they want to pur

Public Safety committee  The limits of the information in the statute, as you know, are focused on information being held by departments. I think it's an open question on just how far the committee could go in that direction, if that's where it chooses to go.

Public Safety committee  I think the annual reports will be an opportunity for parliamentarians to speak to Canadians once they have had a chance to immerse themselves in the issues, the documents, whatever issue they choose to pursue. Once they have done that, they're going to have a regular chance to w

Public Safety committee  I think you summarized the tension very nicely. Obviously, there are other risks that arrive with being more specific. I think Minister Goodale indicated that he was willing to look at whatever suggestions the committee might come up with in terms of alternate language. I think t

Public Safety committee  To the extent that the information is in the control of any of the departments, it's fair game for the committee to look at it. In order for the committee not to have access, one of the exceptions would have to apply, so either something in clause 14 or something in clause 16, bu

Public Safety committee  My colleague might have some more thoughts, but the objective of the statute is to give as much access to sensitive information as possible to parliamentarians. The flip side of that is that there are some checks and balances in terms of the information. I think you're referrin

Public Safety committee  What I would say to that is if in fact during the course of the operations of the statute any of these exemptions are used in a way that the committee determines to be, in their sense of it, too heavy-handed, the committee can certainly make note of that in the report. One of t

Public Safety committee  Yes, the intent was to try to get as specific as possible in requiring that whatever the redaction is fits into one of these specific categories. These categories exist in other parts of statutes, but the aim was to be specific in tying a redaction request to a very specific rati

Public Safety committee  I think Minister Goodale indicated in answer to an earlier question that he was open to suggestions from committee members on any possible amendments he was willing to consider. I would think in that spirit, if there is an alternate formulation that you think better captures th

Public Safety committee  Could you give me a few more specifics on the scenario that you're concerned about here?