First of all, I would like to thank you for your commitment to all these prisoners of conscience around the world, and for your contribution to cases where prisoners were released or their conditions were improved.
As I referred to in my opening statement, the perspectives of those victims imprisoned abroad and their family members should be the driving force of this. A victim-centred approach would be the most appropriate. It would shift the burden from what the minister may feel should be done in a particular case, regardless of family concerns. If the family wants the information to be made public and wants certain government interventions, the family's wishes should be the default. They should even be allowed to apply for a mandamus to compel government action.
This would suggest, perhaps, that some Canadians could have gone home even sooner if the government had decided to speak out earlier.