Thank you, Madam Chair.
I have a number of comments, Madam Chair. I was going to make the point made by my colleague, Madame Demers. Is it the intent of the mover that this committee should have the opportunity to go to Afghanistan? Because that's the only way we'll get a full and comprehensive picture.
As I see it, the motion is not really calling for a study; it's a report. I'm not quite sure how to put it, but I would like the invitation list to include more than departments and groups that are involved in that work. A number of other people have been over to Afghanistan;I'm thinking of Sally Armstrong and other commentators who have been part of the discussion and the dialogue. Many Canadians have been there. I do want to raise the issue that if we're going to do a study, it has to be an appropriate study, and not a report.
I am also very concerned about the timelines. While I will support this motion, I will not support it bumping some of the other things we have identified as high priority. I think this is further down the way, and I will do it on that condition.
Madam Chair, I also have some problem.... I know that others were consulted by the minister, but I have problems with the work of this committee being directed by the executive branch of government. The committee is the master of its own agenda, so to approve or not approve this.... I guess we are to some extent, but studies, reports, whatever, are not initiated by ministers, even in this new era of ministerial cooperation that we hear about at committees.
I want to put on the record that we should not be directed by ministers in terms of the work of this committee. The ministers in government should be responding to the work of the committees, and I don't see that happening.
I think all of us have had the opportunity, both in Ottawa and in our own communities, to meet with Afghan women. We know the challenges. We know the importance of them having opportunities and we know the many struggles they're having. But I don't want this to be simply a report or a show-and-tell. If we're going to do it, we must prioritize it around the other work we're going to do, and it should be a meaningful study that includes representatives that all committee members would like. But a simple show-and-tell or an infomercial is not the agenda at play here.