I'll try not to delay this thing any longer.
It's unacceptable that these documents are coming in redacted, but I also want to recognize that a lot of the redactions are likely personal information and whatnot.
We started this study with a focus. For us, certainly, we wanted to know what harms were being done to the public service and to taxpayers around outsourcing, and I was excited about us pursuing that. I'm worried about where the scope of this study is going right now.
We know something has to be done around outsourcing—certainly around these redactions as well—but it can't be at the cost of getting answers to Canadians about what the initial intent is. We've learned a lot from these documents and we need to talk about them. We need to not delay the conversation that needs to happen around outsourcing. I'm really concerned that's what's happening now. We're not talking about the problem.
Having them come and testify here, getting the answers from those violators and having them explain themselves so that we can move on.... Whether we move forward with this motion...and I hope this motion can wait until we've had them here. We can make that decision after we've had a chance to hear from them, but I really want us to get back to work on outsourcing, what we're doing here and the broader situation.
I hope that we can have them appear here, get some answers and then start to proceed. I'm not at all afraid to revisit this conversation on this motion by Ms. Kusie so that we can bring it back and have a more detailed conversation after we've had them here. I think it's beneficial to this committee to have them here to ask them, “Why are you doing this?“ and say, “We can't have this happen again.”
Have them here so that we can ask questions here at committee. I think that serves Canadians and our democracy even better, because we can ask direct questions to them here at committee that can't be asked of them in the House. That's what I would hope for.
I hope that Ms. Kusie will consider that. I don't want to vote against this motion today. I want us to try a different path and then bring it back. I know there's more time. I know that's frustrating. I appreciate the frustration. I do.