I've received maybe about one-third or 25% of the promised information. The clerk has received it. It is going to translation, so hopefully it will be circulated tomorrow or the day after.
The balance of the information promised by nine o'clock has not been provided. We have a promise from Mr. Firth that the balance will be sent in a separate email, but we haven't received it yet. When we do, it will be translated and forwarded to the committee.
On that point, I want to bring up something. I promised to get back to the committee yesterday regarding questions put to the previous witness that were not answered.
I want to read a note directly from our law clerk.
I understand that one of the reasons given by the witness for not providing certain answers was that the matter was potentially related to an RCMP investigation.
It is up to the committee to decide whether a question should be put to the witness and whether the potential for, or an actual, police investigation is sufficient reason for not answering the question. ... That said, ultimately, it is for the committee to decide. As mentioned in House of Commons Procedure and Practice, a committee can report to the House a situation where a witness refuses to answer its question.
Basically, it is up to the committee—and not for anyone else—to decide whether that is a relevant reason not to answer.