Point of order.
Actually, it's more of a point of clarification. I think it's important to get this on the record, because we might run into this situation in future meetings.
On the question of whether or not a member of Parliament is compelled to appear before a committee if they don't want to, you'll recall I raised that at the last meeting. My contention was that a member of Parliament is not compelled to appear if that member does not want to appear. Michel and Marcel both said that they are compelled. In fact, they are not.
I'll read into the record from House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Second Edition, 2009, under the heading “Committee Powers by Committee Type”, under the subset “To Send for Persons”. I won't read the entire rationale, but I'll cut to the chase. It says, “The same logic explains why a Standing Committee cannot order a Member of the House of Commons or a Senator to appear.”
Now, there is a recourse to that, and I'll read that, because it's a process: “If a member of the House refuses an invitation to appear before a Standing Committee, and the Committee decides that such an appearance is necessary, it may so report to the House and then it will be up to the House to decide what measures should be taken.”
So there is some recourse. But my point is, as I stated in the last meeting, you cannot force a member of Parliament to appear based on a committee's wishes. It has to go to a higher body.