Thank you, Chair.
Obviously, I oppose option A, for the reasons Mr. Reid just finished illuminating, and also for many of the reasons I spoke to last week. It was pre-written, before the witnesses. This is just something that primarily the Liberals, but other opposition members who seem to support it, want to do to help buttress their political agenda. For that reason, if we were truly trying to find information, if this was an information-gathering session and we wanted to come up with recommendations or try to make Parliament a better place, option A, to me, fundamentally.... I profoundly disagree with option A.
I would even be prepared to support option B. Option B is critical of the government, option C less critical, and option D less critical yet.
I would even add to option B. I would even make it stronger by adding a line at the end of the paragraph or at the end of the option that says “FINA”—or the finance committee—“should undertake a further study and call all necessary witnesses to ensure that the documentation is received.” Option B is critical of the government. It says they haven't received all of the information, and that's what's required. So my sentence would actually strengthen that by saying fine, let the finance committee deal with it; call more witnesses until they're satisfied they've got the information.
In fact, if that's what Mr. Brison and members of the finance committee were after to begin with, one would think that option would satisfy their request. It would ask for all relevant information to be brought forward through examination of witnesses until the finance committee was satisfied they had received the information they wanted. And if you listen to them, that's apparently what they wanted to get to begin with, rather than just come in with a predisposed intention to find the government in contempt.
On the one hand, we've got a purely political option--that's option A--not looking for further information, not looking to satisfy the finance committee, just merely making a political statement that they find the government in contempt; or option B, with my addition, would actually make the information they requested become a reality.
I would certainly say that we would support option B, with that additional line that I've suggested, which is still critical of the government--it says we haven't given the committee the information they want--but it would make it so that the committee could get the information they desire. If they're truly interested in getting the information, finding a method by which to gather information to help them, they shouldn't have a problem with that.