Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I was about to begin by saying that Mr. Harris could very well have said that this motion was not signed by just four Conservative colleagues. I also signed this motion, which was moved today. This is entirely consistent with the position taken by the Bloc Québécois on the Afghan detainee issue. So I feel that I'm acting in continuity with the positions taken by my party on these issues in the past.
I must admit that I was concerned to hear Mr. Oliphant say that he saw this as a partisan move. I think he's getting to know me, and he knows full well that I try to stay away from partisan politics in all matters of foreign affairs. So that's not the reason I'm supporting this motion, and I take offence to the fact he would think that.
However, the last words he spoke may shed some light on why he may see partisan motives in this motion. In contrast to his party's position when he was a member of the opposition, Mr. Oliphant seems, without saying so, to be taking the exact opposite view today, now that he is in the government, invoking the best interests of I don't know who to say that perhaps Parliament's power should be limited.
What I find particularly disturbing about this admission in his speech is that he seems to be telling us that the reason we're moving this motion is because we aren't against the decision of a public servant, but against the current government, as if the government were endorsing the decisions made by the public servant.
I never thought that the current government was condoning the decision of the public servant not to answer parliamentarians' questions. If what we're to understand from what Mr. Oliphant told us a few moments ago when he talked about a partisan move, it is that the government is endorsing the public servant's refusal to answer, I find that far more disturbing than it seemed before we met this morning, Mr. Chair.
It will come as no surprise to you that I fully and unreservedly support the motion before us, for the very eloquent reasons stated by Mr. Genuis and Mr. Chong.
I would also like to say to my friend Mr. Harris that I would have liked to have been able to discuss his reservations with him before this morning. I think, contrary to what Mr. Oliphant said, that we have in this motion the guidelines, the parameters or the safeguards that would allow us to avoid harming the public interest by exercising the powers vested in Parliament, particularly in point (b), where we are obliged not to disclose everything publicly. I know that Mr. Harris has a proposed amendment to item (b). I wish I could have discussed it with him, and I'm quite willing to hear what he has to say in a few moments.
I want to reiterate that I believe this motion is balanced, precisely because it contains the safeguards to ensure that the public interest isn't compromised simply on a matter of principle. It isn't true that we're going to sacrifice the very principles underlying the British parliamentary system because the current situation makes the government uncomfortable.
Just a few moments ago, I didn't think the government was concerned about the situation, but Mr. Oliphant seemed to be telling us that the government is concerned about the public servant's refusal to answer. I have to tell you, I'm personally concerned about that. I had no idea until I came to the committee today.
I would like to come back briefly to Mr. Harris' comments. I thought they were just as eloquent as those of Mr. Genuis and Mr. Chong. Mr. Harris said that he thought Speaker Milliken's decision was probably a first in the jurisprudence surrounding decisions in British-style parliaments.
I wouldn't dare to contradict my learned colleague on this issue. I haven't done the research that would allow me to make such a statement. However, having served in another Parliament, I can say that this ruling by Speaker Milliken is a precedent for subsequent rulings by other speakers in British-style parliaments. Of course, I'm referring to decisions made, among others, by Speaker Chagnon in the Quebec National Assembly.
I will close by acknowledging the excellent document that was provided to us by the clerks of the House of Commons. Those of us on the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development were pleased to have a similar presentation on the ability of Parliament and its committees to require the government to produce documents.
So I wasn't surprised to find all the arguments in this document, but I would like to emphasize the quality of the document in its conciseness and clarity. I think this document, which is now public, can be used as a reference for anyone who wants to use it in the future.
This brings me to a conclusion with respect to Mr. Oliphant's comments. He seems to recognize the ability of our clerks to judge a commercial issue, but he seems to be saying that they wouldn't have the ability to judge a national security issue.
Aside from the fact that I find this comment somewhat contemptuous of our clerks, because I believe they're capable of seeking out the expertise they need to be able to advise parliamentarians properly, I believe that, once again, this reflects the government's desire to put a lid on this issue.
Again, I have to say that this concerns me because I didn't think the government had made the issue we're dealing with today a matter that involved it directly. However, since Mr. Oliphant called the motion “partisan”, I understand that the government is feeling challenged. It's not the public servant or the agency, but rather the Liberal government that feels challenged by the motion.
I have to tell you that I'm very concerned about this, Mr. Chair. I'm very eager to hear what my other colleagues have to say.