Thank you, Chair.
First of all, let me begin by apologizing to Mr. Bittle for the comment I made. It certainly doesn't foster a conversation that we're hoping to resolve. He can accept it or not. That's up to him.
I will continue with this motion and the conversation on this motion.
We all agreed around this table—at least I hope we did. There certainly wasn't any support initially when we began this process in mid-September about having any committee time spent on security transfers, security reclassifications, all those things related to the subject matter. I think we've come around to the fact that yes, we need to have meetings on this.
The issue boils down not so much to whom we're going to invite, because I think there is some agreement on the majority of the people we want to invite to do this study—we might want to add a name or take one off, whatever—and we're close on time.
As I said the other day, I don't know why the government would be so concerned about giving a study that has implications more far-reaching than just the Bernardo transfer.... There are dozens of transfers that occur with similar individuals, some with more than one murder conviction—multiple murder convictions—and they are moved from maximum-security to medium-security prisons. It impacts a significant number of victims and victims' families in this country.
I think it would be important for us to have not just lip service to a study, but at least an attempt to hear from those who have something to tell us that might actually allow the government to change legislation to prevent these things from happening at the rate they're happening, and actually deal with victims' rights. That's exactly what this should be about.
I support the effort of Mr. Julian to bring something forward that is close to workable. I still can't agree to a three-hour meeting. It's not sufficient, in my opinion, to deal with the people who will be called to present at committee. I would ask colleagues to consider adding hours to meetings, and then we can move on. We've spent an inordinate amount of time dealing with this issue. For the Canadian public, who are embarrassed for all of us at this table, on all sides, the issue is why: Why would the government be so dug in on an issue for an hour or two of time? That is the question I get asked by people who have watched us online.
Excuse me?