Terrance Carter, specialist in charity law: "The initiative taken by CCRA in its recent Future Directions paper is a major step in the right direction in easing the burden for both charities and lawyers who represent charities in dealing with CCRA. Anything that can be done to improve efficiency and communication as well as to reduce confusion and bureaucracy in dealing with the Charities Directorate is a welcome and much needed change. Bill McCloskey, Assistant Commissioner, and Maureen Kidd, Director General of the Charities Directorate of CCRA, are to be commended for this initiative. "The test of the depth of CCRA's commitment towards the changes as set out in the Future Directions paper will occur when CCRA is faced with challenging applications for charitable status which push the boundaries of what is charitable at law. How efficient and fair CCRA is in dealing with difficult applications for charitable status will be a test of its resolve to implement both transparency and co-operation with the voluntary sector. "On a cautionary note, though, there still remains cause for concern arising out of CCRA's stated intention to focus on charities with suspected links to terrorist organizations. The impact of anti-terrorism legislation on the charitable community continues to be a source of apprehension for charities, particularly as it relates to the fairness and openness of the deregistration process (see www.antiterrorismlaw.ca). Whether or not the stated objectives of CCRA to expose charities that have connections to terrorist organizations will be done with moderation and restraint or with an overzealous spirit, remains to be seen. "