There are two ways of looking at the current situation: through the eyes of the Conservative Members or from the Opposition's perspective.
If I were a Conservative MP, I would certainly like to put Mr. Manley front and centre, especially since he is a Liberal and it would be like twisting the knife in his party's wound, so to speak. That's what I would like, if I were a Conservative. I would certainly endorse this idea. Furthermore, I would emphasize the fact that Mr. Manley is a very credible individual. I would be very much in favour of the idea, since Mr. Manley was appointed by my Prime Minister. How could I object? I would want to give him some credibility and to have him stay on the job as long as possible.
However, since I am not a Conservative MP, you need to understand that I will argue as hard as I can against this happening. I remind you that the Bloc was opposed to striking this panel of experts. We have also maintained that this was a job for parliamentarians. Consequently, you can understand that we are not in favour of giving this panel a second kick at the can.
If I were a Conservative MP, I think it would be in my best interest to block all committee meetings until the end of February. You all know what we have on our agenda. We plan to address a series of health-related issues that will prove quite controversial for the government. We will not just be dealing with the number of fatalities in Afghanistan, but also with the number of casualties and how the injured are being treated. Clearly then, if I were a Conservative MP, I would want to set the agenda aside until the end of February.
However, since I am not a Conservative MP, but rather an opposition member, I have to present arguments to the contrary.
As a Conservative MP, I would want to have all my ministers highly visible for one month. I would applaud the fact that four ministers put in an appearance, even though we virtually had no time to put any questions to them.
However, I am not a Conservative MP and I do not want to put Conservative ministers in the spotlight for one month.
If I were a Conservative MP, I would also be happy to hear my prime minister announce that he was going to Bucharest, without knowing exactly when a debate was scheduled. I would want to give my prime minister as much leeway as possible, by announcing that the debate would certainly not take place in the House, since the matter is on the agenda of the national defence and foreign affairs and international development committees and we need to await the outcome of their discussions. The Conservatives would save a lot of time by doing this, but I am not a Conservative MP.
A motion representing the government's position should be tabled in the House of Commons. It is the government's responsibility to act in this manner. That way, the Prime Minister would arrive in Bucharest with a mandate in hand. However, we have the feeling that the government is playing for time in an effort to win over the public.
Since I am not a Conservative MP, I cannot support this initiative. I hope my colleagues will not hold it against me. I do not harbour any ill will toward them because if I were in their shoes, I would be doing exactly as they are. However, they should not think ill of us either for not pursuing the same objectives.