Mr. Chair, something that my distinguished colleague opposite, Mr. Poilievre, said earlier might add to what Mr. Wrzesnewskyj said.
I think we being disrespectful toward the people who elected us when we say that the fundamental problem of financing...Elections are at the root of our democracy. People follow an established process. Elections are held and rules must be followed. Observers are dispatched to certain countries that do not follow the rules. Canadians travel abroad as observers to see if election rules are being followed. And now, we have Mr. Poilievre saying that no one is interested in this, because the editor of the Globe and Mail, or some other newspaper, apparently said that this story was of no interest to anyone.
It's truly insulting to the people who elected the MPs and who believe that they were elected to office through honourable means. That's the first thing I wanted to say.
My second remark concerns something else that Mr. Poilievre said. If we want to ask the people who initially refused to testify to come back and if we want to make a political issue out of it, then again, Mr. Poilievre's comments defy comprehension.
If witnesses appear before a parliamentary committee, if they lie and distort the truth, then what does that say about us as a Parliament? When people fail to appear when they are summoned, it's not a political issue, but rather a legal matter. The voters are entitled to hear the truth. At issue here is the institution of Parliament, and all such institutions around the world must establish and abide by rules of procedure.
Mr. Chair, I expect this committee to refrain from insulting with such impunity members of the voting public.