Now that it's coming forward, it's important to distinguish that we absolutely have a duty and responsibility to taxpayers, and we represent the taxpayers. We're here to represent Canadians. We're here to ensure that all Canadians have due process and that we uncover any actions or things that have not been done appropriately.
The Auditor General and the ombudsman have come out with reports. We have an internal investigation that's also coming forward, but I'm suggesting that there are certain members of the committee on the Conservative side who have taken actions on their own accord, which jeopardizes this very issue. It's they who I'm suggesting need protection, because we have to make certain that the parliamentary procedure and the supremacy of parliamentary procedure is not that of individuals but of committees.
All of us in this committee have a responsibility to ensure the positive outcome and success of uncovering these allegations and ensuring that we determine what has occurred and that we do so with integrity. I'm concerned that without more time to put forward appropriate amendments to the motion, and without possibly considering the implications of what is being put forward, we are actually doing an injustice, possibly, by bringing forward certain individuals who have..... Again, I'm cautious, because we are being advised to be sensitive to what we say here in public, and that very issue is at stake.
In certain respects, some of this should be done in camera too. I would caution that if we're dealing with some degree of illness or health or whatever it may be, people need to be protected, and we need to have confirmation before we proceed to demand or to hold someone in contempt or arrest—whatever—without having proper consideration, and that hasn't been provided here.
In this motion, there's nothing that says the witnesses deserve to provide confirmation of their situation. I understand that we want them to appear before us. I believe we all want to understand what has taken place and we already have quite a bit of information to that effect. We also have, as I said, a number of investigations still under way, and we don't want to compromise that activity. We talked at length today about the admissibility of some of the situations that may be before us and that may be compromised as a result of what this motion puts forward and, of course, there's the issue of confidentiality and privacy that's at risk here, too, by bringing forward some of this without taking proper precautions ahead of issuing that call.
We want them here. We want everybody to appear. We don't want to set a precedent that would provide people an opportunity not to, but we have to affirm the situation and make certain that it doesn't then compromise both the witnesses and the stakeholders, nor the investigation that is under way.
I would respectfully request that we suspend this discussion until we obtain greater insight and understanding of what this means, maybe even asking the RCMP or others in terms of what is being proposed here, and if it's being done too expeditiously, maybe it's going to create greater harm. I will leave it at that.
Mr. Chair, I request that we suspend.