Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to briefly repeat what I said in the in camera session. I want it to be on the record.
This motion is an absolute contradiction of what is stated in the Agriculture Committee's report. For many weeks, the Subcommittee reviewed the listeriosis issue. Mr. Storseth is well aware of the fact that the majority of the members of this committee specifically recommended that the government hold an open and transparent public inquiry, because of the gaps in Ms. Weatherill's mandate that had been noted.
Congratulating Ms. Weatherill for her work and saying that, because of that, there is no longer any need to hold a public inquiry is a complete non sequitur. We are having trouble understanding why Mr. Storseth has tabled this motion today. I believe the only reason why it is coming forward is the fact that, for once, the Conservatives have a majority on the Committee and will be in a position to win the vote on it. However, that in no way changes the conclusions of the report tabled by the Agriculture Committee in June, before the end of the last parliamentary session, in which the government was again asked to focus on the need to hold a full public inquiry on the listeriosis crisis which, I would remind Committee members, resulted in no less than 22 deaths.
It seems to me there is no room for petty politics on an issue such as this.