Mr. Speaker, the chair of the subcommittee in question has just indicated that to the best of his knowledge nothing that is in the report in fact has appeared elsewhere.
May I respectfully recommend to the Chair that before determining whether in fact there has been a leak, let alone what is done with it, that one should await the tabling of the document in question. That would not ascertain whether there has been a leak but it certainly would ascertain of course if the allegations made today in the media are false. We would at least know that as a first proposition.
That being said, I understand that the procedure and House affairs committee has received representations from hon. members. In fact it intends to start a discussion of this issue very shortly and of course subsequently to report its findings to the House.
There are two things. One, we do not have a copy of the report of the said subcommittee before the House and no way to compare whether or not the allegations in the paper are factual. Two, we should also wait for the report of the committee on procedure and House affairs.
That being said, I must say that I profoundly agree with anyone who suggests that it is improper to leak reports from standing committees. I as a parliamentarian and all members of this House have the right to be the first to know of what is prepared by a committee of our own colleagues. I fully subscribe to that proposition and I fully condemn anyone who attempts to make a report of ours as members of parliament available to someone else before our own colleagues.