All right.
I asked you four questions, Mr. Walsh. You were very gracious in getting back to me instantly, just about. You indicated at that time, as you did in committee, that you didn't want to provide me with any advice regarding other members of the committee. They can seek advice on their own.
Let me now, therefore, turn to a specific piece of advice as to how I am permitted to act. This is with further reference to the question four I'd asked you on what further obligations the committee members face with regard to the examination of these documents to ensure that we don't commit new offences under this law--that is to say, the Security of Information Act--in any possible future examination of these documents, those being the documents I'd referenced in the letter.
What I am wondering about here is that you've indicated that we ought not to be using them for any personal use, which would include reading through them. Now, there had been references made in this committee and a quotation made by one of the members of this committee directly from one of the redacted portions of one of the documents at our last meeting. It's been referred to several times in this meeting; that's where the reference to “torture” being blacked out comes from.
It's very difficult, if one complies with the requirement under the law, to turn these things over to the foreign affairs ministry to respond, either to even confirm the accuracy of what's been stated by another member of the committee in a public session or to find any contextual information that might be appropriate, showing that what has been asserted is either out of context or appropriately in context, or that there are other examples....
You can see the kinds of problems we have in dealing with the use of this committee to present a certain argument that we simply cannot comment on. I'm just wondering to what degree I would be permitted to retain these documents for that purpose, should further commentary be made by other members of the committee regarding these documents.
I'm thinking in particular, Mr. Walsh, of when the documents themselves have not been presented to the clerk of the committee as evidence. At that point I assume the circumstance changes somewhat.