Madam Chair, I have a point of order.
I must admit that I'm quite uncomfortable with the situation we've just experienced.
I would like to share with committee members and those listening to us the content of the email sent by the committee clerk on November 13, which I mentioned at the beginning of the meeting.
The email informed us that Ms. Roxana Sultan would be testifying remotely before the committee at today's meeting and that her testimony would be given without a video camera to prevent images of her from appearing on the Internet. He announced that the chair had agreed to this request and specified that the witness's sound quality would be tested before the meeting. He then asked committee members to share their concerns with the chair and send her their comments.
Madam Chair, as a member of this parliamentary committee, I am unable to identify the person who just spoke. I think that the people who are here today and those who are listening to us can also hear that the voice was altered and sounds robotic. The credibility of the committee is currently at stake. This makes me very uncomfortable. Going forward, are we to accept that witnesses need not identify themselves?
After hearing testimony, we must draft reports and present them to the House of Commons. Madam Chair, I understand that you wanted to make a rather exceptional accommodation. However, I repeat that the committee's credibility is at stake if we hear testimony from people we cannot identify. Is this real testimony? Can it be included in a report by the Standing Committee on Science and Research that will be presented to the House of Commons and then to the government?
I would like to hear my colleagues' opinion on this matter. Doesn't this situation undermine the committee's credibility and the way people perceive the committee and the democratic institution it represents?
I don't know what led this person to take that step. I am willing to respect it, but I would still like to understand the situation, which seems to be causing quite a bit of discomfort, judging by the behaviour of several people I can observe in the room today.