Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I do want to again thank the government members—it was Deepak Obhrai—for pointing out that clause 11 is so significant that it needed its own time for review.
I would hope that we could move towards the kind of solution that Canada eventually found our way to in the relation to land mines. I think it's important to remember that this isn't the first time that we've gone down this road of wanting to work in military operations in collaboration with countries that have not ratified an important international treaty.
In this case with cluster munitions, I don't know why we would put ourselves in a position of loopholes and compromises when we have a workable solution that we've already had in relation to the Ottawa treaty on land mines. This is simply to say that we can participate in cooperative military operations with a country that isn't party to the convention on cluster munitions as long as Canadians are not actively assisting.
What I've attempted to do with this amendment, Green Party-5, is amend the chapeau paragraph, subclause 11(1), and to replace what now exists as language that wouldn't prohibit a person who is covered by the National Defence Act, or the Public Service Employment Act from participation in combined military activity with a state that is not party to the convention.
I've replaced the language—I propose, I should say , Mr. Chair, I haven't been able to replace it yet. I await the miraculous event in which a Green Party amendment to a committee of which I'm not a member passes. It's going to be fantastic, You all will be remembered when the movie comes out, Mike.
Anyway, here we go. This is the key language, the last clause of my amendment. It would replace the language with:
if that participation does not amount to active assistance in a prohibited activity.
I think that accomplishes the same thing as the compromise that was found under the Ottawa land mines treaty. I would hope that we could favourably consider this amendment as more in keeping with Canada's commitment to this international convention, which we will be ratifying now five years after signing it, once we get this passed.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.