Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for that question. She again expresses the concern about the document marked confidential.
I explained why I believe the document was not confidential. The committee had improperly gone in camera. I would like to ask the member about her lack of respect for the rules of the committee. I assume she was at the meeting where the committee went in camera. At that time the member did not say to the chair, “It is improper that we are going in camera. We discussed this at the last meeting”. Why did she not do that? Unfortunately I was not at that meeting. I was away on other matters of parliamentary business.
She talked about my not being at some of the meetings. I challenge her to have my attendance records at those committees compared with those of any other member of the committee. I have taken part in most of the meetings of the committee. I have been involved. I took part in the debate.
When I found out that a copy of the new immigration act had been leaked, I realized we had all been taken for fools. That bothered me. My co-operation at that point dwindled somewhat because this is a serious issue.
I would like to ask the member why at that committee she did not stand and say, “This is improper. I am going to have no part of it. I am going to respect the rules of the committee. I am not going to allow you, Mr. Chair, to go in camera on this issue without a vote. Mr. Chair, I am not going to allow you to go against the minutes of that March 2 meeting and now decide to have the discussion on the draft report in camera, in secret”.
I would like to ask the member why she has so little respect for the rules that she did not stop that.