On a point of order, Mr. Chairman, you just made a comment that this is standard practice. I'd like to know what authority says this is standard practice. It is not standard practice. I spent about 45 minutes pointing out to the committee how holding this hearing would prejudice some others. There are three or four different proceedings or investigations going on. Yet the committee insisted that this matter take place. I went through it all. There was a report made by a House of Commons committee a number of years ago on this very point, and yet the committee insisted that we ram this through.
Are you telling us that we're kind of holding a hearing, but then again we're really not? Are you and the witness going to decide which questions are okay and which aren't? That's not the way to hold a hearing in this place. That's not the way we do things. Mr. Poilievre is quite right. The information that he gives in these proceedings cannot be used against him in a court of law.
Quite frankly, everything you're saying about some questions being okay and other questions not being okay is a lot of nonsense. If we're going to continue with this hearing, I say we should be allowed to ask any question we wish. We shouldn't be overruled by you. You shouldn't be telling us that pertinent questions are inappropriate. Sir, if you're going to do your job, do your job.