The way that I can see to deal with it, myself, is to meet with the people who are concerned about it and find out what their concerns are. I have to read the Dene standardization reports. I have them from a couple of years ago when they were done, but I have not looked at them since then. I am aware of them and all the work that was done. I worked along with a few of the people there working out some of the problems. What I can do is say, yes, I would be happy to meet with those people and find out what the problem is and make a recommendation to the government that certain things be done. You have to realize that the government departments have the responsibility of delivering services and programs. I do not have that responsibility.
Mine is to monitor those services and programs and make sure that the government is aware if there are any failings or any problems. I am like a channel for that information. The way this act exists and the way it was passed in this House does not give me authority to force the government to do anything. That is what I have to live with, too. There are lots of things that I would like to say but I cannot. It gives me investigative powers and that sort of thing, but it does not give me any authority to force the government to do anything.
My role is to gather that information, make those recommendations and make them strongly by tabling a report in this House and saying this is a major issue, and making it a public document so that people say, yes, that is an issue and we support it. That is the political process. If I put something in a report and table it in the House then it is up to the Members of the House to decide how much effort they want to put into it, or up to the public how much effort they want to put in to try to force the government to do what is recommended.
I just have to explain that I am limited by this legislation. It gives me some powers, but some limitations as well. I will do everything I can to try to deal with people's concerns and make the recommendations that they feel need to be made.