Mr. Speaker, on April 30 I asked a question of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness concerning the position the government had taken before the inquiry into the matter of government involvement in the detention of Mr. Maher Arar in Syria for a year.
The parliamentary secretary's reply suggested that it was not appropriate for parliamentarians to comment on the arguments used by counsel for either side before the inquiry.
Let me point out that counsel operates on behalf of its client and at the direction of its client. In this case the client is the Government of Canada. I think it is appropriate for me to comment on the position my government has taken on a matter of such direct interest to a constituent of mine. My duty to represent my constituent and his best interests and those of his family does not end simply because a thorough public inquiry has commenced.
Let me say first though that I do have every confidence in Mr. Justice O'Connor to conduct a thorough and expeditious inquiry. I notice in his comments in recent days that he has emphasized the importance of conducting this inquiry expeditiously so that some of the questions before him can be resolved.
I also want to express my appreciation that he has, in fact as I suggested in my question to the parliamentary secretary, levelled the playing field by ensuring that Mr. Arar's legal costs will be paid by the inquiry, therefore putting him on an equal footing in front of the inquiry with the Government of Canada and any other party.
I cannot emphasize too much the importance of this inquiry. Mr. Arar's history is well known to the House and to Canadians generally. The findings of this inquiry's process are extremely important, not only to the Arar family, but to literally tens of thousands of Canadians who have a background of birth not in this country but who have come here to make this their home and who are, in my view, entitled to all the protections of Canadian citizenship.
Mr. Arar and his family continue to suffer the consequences of his detention in Syria under extreme conditions. The inquiry's job is to find out whether and what government involvement or involvement of government agencies there may have been that led to that detention.
It is important that we find out how our government officials may have operated that led to what will be, I can only say, lifelong implications for Mr. Arar and his family of this horrendous year that he experienced. There is no question he was away from home for a year. He suffered terrible conditions and terrible treatment, but it is not over yet and he continues to be unable to find employment.
The inquiry clearly has to get to the bottom of how this happened to him to make sure as far as possible it does not happen to another Canadian.