Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. MacKay, for meeting with us today.
You stated, and rightfully so, that Canada has some useful experiences to share with other countries and that we take too easily for granted at home what others abroad would like to emulate. Specifically, you spoke of the context in which our democracy is exercised, noting that bribes are not required, that our police forces are professional and that criticism can be levelled at our politicians. We agree with you on that score.
Yet, at times, our institutions, however sound, do not quite act as we would hope they would in a democracy.
Recently, the findings in the Maher Arar case bear this out. Under the circumstances, we felt that the government's first duty was to take responsibility for what happened to Mr. Arar. This Canadian citizen suffered terribly when he was deported to another country and tortured. To our way of thinking, the Canadian government should step up and, as any citizen would expect of his government, apologize for the suffering he endured.
I realize that the other issues will be examined by the lawyers and that further legal action is pending. However, we find it odd, to say the least, that to this day, the government has yet to acknowledge the suffering inflicted on Mr. Arar or to apologize to him and his family.
What are your feelings about this situation?