Madam Speaker, first, I thank the member for Témiscamingue for his eloquent speech on the motion. I would like to thank him also for the explanations he gave us during question period on the provisions of the Geneva convention.
There is much talk about it since last Sunday, but it would have been very instructive today if every one of us were to know exactly what is in the Geneva convention concerning the problems we are now facing.
I also found quite amusing and interesting the way the debate has developed since the tragic events of September 11. It seems to me that on both sides of the House people are suddenly discovering the virtues of sovereignty and want to preserve Canada's sovereignty at all costs.
I will simply make a comment, and come back to the heart of the matter later: they are the same people who want to deprive others of the same great virtues of sovereignty.
This being said, I believe my colleague clearly showed in his speech that there is an obvious contradiction in the minister's declarations, and that this justifies the decision rendered by the Speaker this morning. According to this decision, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs will examine thoroughly this issue in order to give us a true account of what really happened and to dispel all doubts.
Of course, this concerns the declarations made by the minister in the House. But if we had to further justify the minister's appearance before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, I believe we could have found quite a whole series of reasons.
I know the Chair will ask me to stick to the heart of the matter, but may she allow me to say briefly that, besides the fact that the minister has, through conflicting statements, I would say, betrayed the confidence of this House—or potentially betrayed the confidence of this House, since the committee has not yet ruled on the matter—there is a problem with the confidence that the House can have in the minister and, more importantly, a problem with the confidence Canadians and Quebecers can have in this minister.
More important yet in the circumstances, there is the confidence that the Canadian Forces, men and women who are now serving Canada in Afghanistan and the gulf, can have in this minister. And perhaps even more important is the confidence that allies, with whom we are working, can have in this minister.
Perhaps by the end of the day I will have the opportunity to elaborate on this, but I could still make another series of arguments. I hope that I will be able to do so by the end of the day. This other series of arguments effectively allows us to be seriously concerned about what has happened. This greatly justifies the meeting of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
I would like my colleague from Témiscamingue to address the other aspects that certainly justify, as I said, our concerns about what has happened.