Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First of all, now that there's another motion, I want to speak to that.
I feel strongly that a letter is not required here. I see nothing wrong with having a report. When we last spoke to these witnesses, we specifically asked them whether or not this met the criteria to be a recommendation, and this topic was a recommendation. We did that about five or six times, and I believe all members on the committee, all three major parties, did that. Recommendations came forward. Recommendations usually go in a report; they don't go in a letter. The word “recommendations” was used. I jotted a number of things down in my own notes that I remember witnesses saying at the time.
In the spirit of collaboration, I was of the understanding that while we're having the four meetings this week on medical inadmissibility, we would possibly be able to have another meeting to look at hearing directly from the Yazidi women who have been injured or persecuted by the situation they've been put through, and that we would be able to hear about, and Canadians would get a better feel for, the need for the changes that may be required. They're not that outstanding, given the number of people involved, as we've seen in the admissibility situation this evening.
I strongly believe that there is a need to have this recorded as a report, as opposed to an open letter, for the accountability of the whole process. We have a responsibility as Canadians and as members of the backbench and the opposition to make sure that the recommendations are going forward. The government doesn't have to act on them. I believe that they probably would, in some cases, make some adjustments in the whole process.
I think it's very reasonable to ask for that letter to be dealt with. We've already seen, I believe, some of what would be public in it. We could put those forward, if we were to secure another meeting with witnesses to have the opportunity to strengthen what would go into the recommendations. It then gives us an opportunity to be able to respond to it.
I think the motion put forward by my colleague, Ms. Rempel, is the best that you could get out of the amendment the government side has brought forward, the backbench committee from the Liberal government, regarding wanting to have a letter, particularly when it was apparent that it was already coming. I can't believe that the recommendations that everyone in this room knows are already out there couldn't be accepted. They're on the table already. They were there the last time we met two weeks or 12 days ago. I believe that we could live with the opportunity of developing those recommendations in the committee, and then have the minister come and appear before us to deal with such an important issue—the government is the one that said they would bring in 1,200 Yazidi women—and to move as quickly as we can to accomplish the goal the government has set for itself.
I think the witnesses all know the difference between a report and a letter, and I think they would feel much more included in the whole process if they knew that there was going to be a report. They witnessed what happened 11 or 12 days ago at the last meeting that we had. I believe it would be very valuable for the government to have this in their hands as a report.
I'll leave it at that for now and see if there are any other concerns, but I would certainly recommend that we drop both amendments and go back to the original motion.