Hon. Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., M.P., Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities: Your Honour, it won’t surprise you that I don’t share Senator Plett’s pessimism.

Again, this is the Catch-22. We have an independent Special Rapporteur in whose integrity, independence and judgment I have full confidence, and I think most Canadians do.

The government shouldn’t proscribe the details of how he executes the function that the government gave him. However, his ability to receive information from interested persons is, as Senator Plett properly identified, a fundamental part of his terms of reference.

You’ll forgive me, senators; I don’t micromanage the website of the Special Rapporteur, or whom he hires to help him with his work. That is properly done in his independent judgment — that was a term of reference.

When the Right Honourable David Johnston was the Governor General, he opened up and made Rideau Hall accessible in a way that, I think, made all Canadians proud. I would think he would be sensitive to the importance of the transparency of the important work that he’s doing.

I will be sure that officials at Privy Council share with the independent Special Rapporteur Senator Plett’s concern regarding how these persons would properly access or be able to submit information to him. I’m very confident that the Right Honourable David Johnston will have the judgment to do what is appropriate with that request.