Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm in violent agreement with my colleague, Mr. Doherty. However, I appreciate the comments of Mr. Oliphant, Mr. Bergeron and Ms. Blaney.
That being said, I do believe that Canadians expect to hear from that ambassador. That's why we've started laying the groundwork for televised meetings, the committee has been constituted and we're here before the House resumes after the Christmas break. I believe that we should hear from the ambassador next week.
To the points of my colleagues on having some briefings in advance, I think Ms. Blaney's point about having those briefings this week would satisfy all of the concerns that have been expressed, so that we act quickly and hear from our first witness, the ambassador, next week. In the meantime, by having the deputy minister of foreign affairs provide a briefing to the regular members of this committee this week and having the national security adviser provide a briefing to regular members of the committee this week, we would be well informed and would have the full suite of information that is available to those departments they represent.
The information they provide to the government would be available to the members of the committee. Then, when we hear from our top official on this file, our ambassador, we will have all of that information, and the concerns will have been satisfied. Members of Parliament are seized with this issue. They've been engaged. They have done work. I'm confident that, with the level of commitment colleagues here have given to this issue, they're prepared to do the work and to hear from those officials as soon as possible, so that we can get down to the work the House has instructed us to do. That's what Canadians expect.
I don't think it needs to be one or the other; I think we can do both. We can hear from those important officials—the deputy minister of foreign affairs and the national security adviser—this week provided they are in-country. I know that the ambassador has corresponded with Ms. Alleslev and has said that he is eager to appear, just as Canadians are eager to hear from him and just as the regular members of this committee would be eager to ask questions of him following his testimony.