Mr. Chairman, I consider my colleagues on the other side of the table every bit as much my friends as the people on this side of the table, so I want to be very, very temperate in the way I express myself. I intend absolutely no offence whatsoever.
I'm just having a lot of difficulty in understanding why the steering committee would have said that we should be requesting a legal opinion and a legal analysis from the Library of Parliament. What was on the minds of the people on the steering committee that they would ask for that if in fact we're going to go ahead with this decision? It sounds like the opposition is going to unite and will be voting unanimously in favour of this decision, when the steering committee has already said, well, you really need to have that opinion.
The second point is on the information concerning the status of any inquiry that SIRC may be carrying out on the role CSIS may have played, something that obviously would be very interesting in order to make this decision but is not in the same league as asking whether this is a proper or a good decision.
Third, there is the very simple question of seeking an opinion on whether Canadian embassies are considered Canadian territory or if the Canadian government has jurisdiction over them.
The first point is the most important. I am just suggesting that clearly what this motion is about is a totally unvarnished, completely transparent attempt on the part of Mr. Dewar to force the government of the day to attempt to return this gentleman to Canada. It doesn't have anything--or very little--to do with the testimony that is actually going to occur. I just find it unfortunate and, quite frankly, regrettable that my friends would not be willing to take a more prudent approach to this question.
As the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs has indicated, we will be abstaining. I must say personally that I find it highly unusual that my friends would be going this particular route when this is nothing except a ploy to circumvent the situation as it presently sits.
Those are my comments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.