Mr. Speaker, I know it is customary, and indeed we do respect the word of a member in this House. However, the Prime Minister is no doubt aware that the parliamentary immunity, the legal immunity a member enjoys when he speaks in this House implies that when a citizen testifies under oath or a member agrees to testify under oath outside this House, the impact is far greater, because there are major legal consequences.
In the circumstances, why should the Prime Minister, who knows the value of a sworn statement, leave any doubts as to his version of the facts and his integrity, considering he was formally contradicted by an individual who was speaking under oath and may face certain consequences? What this individual said is confirmed by a tape recording.
Why should the Prime Minister be willing to leave these doubts in people's minds, when he has the convenient option of appearing before a Senate committee, being sworn like an ordinary citizen and repeating his statement?