Thank you, colleagues. We obviously have our member back from the NDP.
I'm going to sway to the will of the committee, but it was my intention to summarize where we are right now and then defer this.
Which way would the committee like to go?
I'm sorry. Monsieur Godin, are you able to stay or are you called away again?
Okay. The committee has, with great respect to you, sir, asked that we defer this discussion because you weren't able to be here. Shall I summarize for the member and bring the member up-to-date?
Monsieur Godin, we are discussing the issue of publishing in camera information. We're being very specific today on the deliberate release of in camera information. The committee would make a decision based on whatever circumstances this committee decides and then release the information that was discussed at an in camera meeting. We are not dealing with the leaking of in camera without the authority of the committee.
That is a motion before this committee, but we are discussing that at some point in the future. Today we're talking about under what circumstances, if any, would in camera proceedings be released and made public. At this point, there has been some discussion around the table, which I suppose I could summarize in that the first concern is that chairs and committees have to have some education and perhaps guidelines when a committee meeting would be held in camera, and that should be very restricted--available but not openly used. That's the first thing I'm hearing.
The second thing is there are times when in camera information might need to be released to the public, and it is then the committee's desire, if that's the way we're going to go, that we should have a list that is as inclusive as possible, yet allows some flexibility for the committee to make its own decision, based on a majority vote.
Colleagues, have I summarized the discussions of the last 15 minutes well?