Thank you.
First of all, let me thank Mr. Lafleur for choosing to come back.
I had an opportunity to read the preliminary statement of fact for both Mr. Cameron MacDonald and Mr. Antonio Utano. I am flabbergasted by what's in here and the fact that the RCMP investigation is still going on, the internal investigation is still going on and the AG hasn't finalized her report. We somehow—I am trying to find the right word—thought it would be a good idea—and I was part of the group that voted for it—to have Mr. Lafleur here and to have these documents made available to us. However, that was before I read this document.
That's where I'm going to stop. If I start getting into the level of detail of the content available here.... The investigation is not completed. Even if we limit our questions to the process in general, we could lead the conversation in such a way that might force Mr. Lafleur to make statements that could lead one to deduce...or make certain conclusions that are very risky.
An hour after our last meeting, we received communication from certain legal bodies on how we should be very careful about what information we share about this report, what this report is all about and the role each of the witnesses is playing. This came almost before we even got an email that gave us the link to these documents.
These documents, by the way, were made available in hard copy to the office of the clerk on January 29 in both official languages. For some reason....
It's sad. Had I had the opportunity to read these documents, I would have moved a motion to dismiss the witness. I would not have supported any other activities on ArriveCAN and the Botler AI investigation, or supported our committee calling any witnesses whatsoever going forward, until all those processes are complete. What we are doing is a disservice to justice. I am being very serious about this. I am not a lawyer, but what I read is scary.
I'd love to see the report from the AG. More than that, I'd love to receive the report from the RCMP, because I think there is a big difference between the work the RCMP is doing and the work Mr. Lafleur is doing from an administrative versus legal and corruption...and all of those things. Getting more witnesses here and asking questions in the middle of an investigation, with just a preliminary statement of fact, is concerning. Even the media picked it up in The Globe and Mail, which is basically.... I'll stop there. They are now looking at it and saying—at least the way I read it—“Should we go down this path? Why are we really doing this?”
Just put yourself in the position of the people these reports were prepared for. This investigation is going around.
I don't want to be in any court until all those processes have gone through.
We're turning this committee into a quasi-judicial process. I'm not a lawyer. I'm here to ask certain questions. This is just a sample, and I'll read it again. It's a “preliminary statement of fact”, and this is not from a lawyer; this is from an internal investigation. I'd really like to read the preliminary statement of facts from the RCMP.
The reason we are asking for the witness to be dismissed is that I don't think it's unfair to the process, but I don't think it's fair for Mr. Lafleur to be put in this position while this investigation is still going on. As soon as all the investigations are completed, I'll be the first one to vote that Mr. Lafleur come back.
I want to go back on the record again, saying that the CBSA, Mr. Lafleur, offered to come to this committee in camera, with MPs only, and walk us through this report. I wish I had had the wisdom to accept that at that time.
We chose not to, and I thought, “Oh my God, there's some sort of conspiracy going on.” We were given that opportunity. Now, having the opportunity to just read this, I don't even want to ask a question when I had that opportunity before to have Mr. Lafleur come to this committee in camera and allow us to ask questions. That's why I am strongly opposing any other committee meetings as they relate to ArriveCAN until all those milestones are completed, until we have a report and until we've had the opportunity to look at the report. Then call all of the witnesses back. I want everybody back.
Thank you.