Mr. Speaker, I thank the member across for his comments, but there is one aspect of this whole issue that disturbs me greatly. It is the refusal of the government to provide the committee with the requested documents. In my view that is a cornerstone of parliamentary democracy and that is the right of Parliament, which delegates the committees to send for persons, papers and records.
We have the spectacle in Ottawa now that the present and retired generals, present and retired civil servants, the media, it seems everyone has these documents except members of Parliament and this is a fundamental right that is being violated as we speak. There seems to be a trend with the Minister of Public Safety, Minister of Public Works, the Department of Public Works and it goes on in every committee. I find it disturbing and we are all lessened because of that.
Is the member across not as disturbed as I am with this inability, or the refusal of the government to provide documents to which the committee is legally entitled? Do not say that the Evidence Act, the Privacy Act or some statute has precedence over Parliament because that is not the case. Is he not as disturbed as I am and why—