Thanks very much to you, Mr. Chair, and to all of our colleagues for sharing. We won't belabour the point. It's clear that the opposition is united in saying that we understand and agree that a portion of the meeting should be held in camera, but we feel that Canadians deserve to have a portion where they hear in public from their ambassador his statement and perhaps a few questions.
The Honourable John McCallum is well regarded by all of us here. Before he was shuffled to that role, he had always had an active interest in the Canada-China relationship. I think this is probably the most tense time in that relationship, certainly in my parliamentary experience, but also long before that.
Minister McCallum, in his final speech in the House, alluded to the fact there would be challenges in this relationship. In his farewell speech on his way to becoming ambassador to China, he said this:
However, when China and Canada have disagreed on something, and this sometimes happens, all three prime ministers I have served have drawn on this friendship to speak respectfully but frankly to their Chinese counterparts. I know this long tradition will continue.
It seems like it has not continued, Mr. Chair, because the Prime Minister, for a month and a half, has refused to speak frankly and leverage that friendship. I think Canadians need to hear—to at least a limited extent—from Ambassador McCallum on his efforts on the ground and on the decisions related to consular access to the two Canadians detained on security grounds, but also for the hundreds of families with questions about the visa status of their family members teaching or working in China. I hope this representation issue of our constituents weighs on my friends on the Liberal side and that they agree to a compromise to have part of this meeting held publicly and part in camera.
That will be my final presentation on it.