I'd like to build on what my honourable colleague has just presented. There is no question that this is serious, and there's no question that there may be information that the ambassador can give us. We are totally in agreement with having a portion of the meeting in camera.
However, we also are parliamentarians who represent our constituents. They have come to our offices asking us questions, and they expect us to have the opportunity to represent them and to ask those questions of Canada's ambassador to China. This is the opportunity we have. That's what we have ambassadors for and that's why we have House of Commons committees. Our responsibility is to have that debate and to ask the questions that we, from our expertise and from our constituents, are charged with asking.
If the ambassador can twice have these conversations publicly with CBC reporters who have the opportunity to ask him public questions, then members of Parliament should be afforded the same opportunity. That's why we believe absolutely that there needs to be a portion that's in camera, and that there also needs to be a portion where Canadians can hear that we, as their federal government representatives, are asking the questions they want asked in a state-to-state issue of this magnitude.