Thank you.
I just wanted to confirm the motion before we went on with the debate.
I think in this situation we have someone who is co-operating, who is working with the committee, and whose reputation is going to be tarnished if the committee summons him. I'm so disappointed that there are members of the committee who will use this tool of summoning, which is designed for highly unusual, rare circumstances when someone is not co-operating, to impugn the character of an individual.
I don't care whether this individual is of the same political party or a different one; it is just highly inappropriate, number one. Number two, it breaks with precedent that's been set for this very reason, and it's a precedent that's been followed by members of all parties since this Parliament has existed. I think the fact that we're now breaking with that precedent is very dangerous and sets a very dangerous precedent. I'd urge members to consider that if we would use this tool in this way, the tool could be used at any time on others who are upstanding, who are working with the committee, and could be used to imply that they're not co-operating, that a summons is needed to impugn their character. That's the first thing.
The second thing I think I want to point to again is that members on this committee have said in this discussion, in this debate on this motion and on the amendment to this motion, that someone's preventing.... Mr. Bagnell has tried to ask about this and has not received an answer to his questions, and I think they're very good questions. Mr. Bagnell has asked why the member who brought this allegation suggested that Mr. Marques is not being allowed to testify or is being prevented from testifying, and we have not received a response. There's no evidence to suggest that this is the case. There's no evidence to suggest that Mr. Marques doesn't want to testify and there's no evidence to suggest that anyone's preventing him from testifying, yet we're going to go out there and use the equivalent of the committee's nuclear option and impugn the reputation of an upstanding individual who's co-operating with the committee. I urge members to consider the precedent that this sets. It's completely unnecessary.
We've all committed to a timeline—at least, thus far, we've committed to a timeline for this report to be issued. I think that's in the interest of everyone who wants to see this issue resolved. I think we should do that, but I also think we should treat people who have come to our committee, who are co-operating with our committee, who want to present what they have to say, with the due respect that they deserve, and I don't think that this motion does that.
Thanks, Chair.