Again, Mr. Chairman, I have to object to bringing in the Lieutenant Governor. I have no problem with bringing in her chief of staff or whoever else can answer the questions about the management of the funds.
First of all, Mr. Chairman, we must remember we were dealing in those days with the Constitution of the U.K. A lot of it is unwritten. But I'm a great believer in and firmly committed to upholding the rule of law.
I'll turn the tables for a second, Mr. Chairman. In this investigation we've had this last number of weeks we've had some slanderous accusations at this table that cannot be used in a court of law because we are protected by parliamentary privilege. In some cases these remarks have gone unchecked by the chair. They have been made with absolutely no repercussions by virtue of the fact that we are protected.
The Constitution of Canada, as we have heard from Ned Franks, who has been here, also reaches back to the United Kingdom. Our Constitution says we will have a constitution similar in nature to that of the United Kingdom. As I said, these long-unwritten rules must be adhered to, Mr. Chairman.
If we are to respect the rule of law, parliamentary process, and democracy, we cannot throw it all away on a whim because someone appears to have abused the privilege. There are rules we abide by.
Therefore, I have no problem bringing in the staff, but I seriously object to bringing in the Lieutenant Governor.