Mr. Chair, my hand was up from the beginning on the original point of order that Mr. Poilievre had brought up making a statement, which you had agreed with without discussing it with the rest of us, concerning the appearance of Mr. Rodriguez today. It was that we must respect the parliamentary institution, and part of that parliamentary institution is ministerial responsibility and accountability. What we have before us is a minister who is going to answer.
With respect to the motion to the order from the House, it is this minister who is going to answer the questions we have because this is in accordance with the principle of ministerial responsibility. Staffers are not elected. Staffers are not on the ballot. It is ministers who respond on behalf of the government.
I want to hear from Mr. Rodriguez, but before we do so I would like to address the—I don't know what it was—point of order, or intervention by Mr. Angus regarding Mr. Li.
I am shocked and, yet, maybe I shouldn't be because this is not the first time this has happened here in this meeting where aspersions are cast on a Canadian who is going about his business, who has been drawn into something that this committee is dealing with—