Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the minister talk about the situation in Afghanistan. I have to agree with him on one point. In the House of Commons there are partisan views on one side or the other and none of us can help being politicians.
He kept mentioning that he is a lawyer. I too am a lawyer and have had extensive practice in the area of inquiries and other legal matters, but would he not agree with the one statement that at least a public inquiry would have objectivity? If there are facts to be weighed, they would be weighed objectively by a trier of fact with long experience and not tainted by what he has to admit in his own case has to be a personal bias and the government's bias in terms of protecting its role.
A public inquiry is objective and independent, and that is what the Canadian public needs. Would he not agree with that?