Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask a question that relates more to the beginning of your intervention. After the leader of the NDP spoke, you began speaking immediately to give a few explanations. I would like to suggest that, although it was not your intention, perhaps one of your explanations does not hold water. I would like to raise the matter now.
You said there were no photocopies because the documents were not translated. But there is no connection between those two facts. It is true that the parliamentary secretary who just spoke asked for permission—and received it—to table documents that were not translated. But let us be clear: a document with all the text blacked out, whether in English or French, does not need to be translated.
The Chair, the institution you are part of, learned last night that the government planned to table documents today. Thus, there is no possible excuse, apart from contempt. All of the Chair's rulings are made in context. If I may, I would like to suggest that you consider the profound contempt this government showed for the institution of Parliament when it tabled such a large quantity of heavily redacted documents. This clearly violates the order passed last December in this House. Being the phonies that they are, the Conservatives said they had not had time to photocopy the documents.
Heaven forbid we should interpret your response to the NDP leader as giving support to the government's argument. I am sure you would never do such a thing. Exceptionally, we agreed to the tabling of the documents so that the government could give its reply. However, as Dimitri Soudas sends speaking notes to the government, it is changing its tune somewhat, so that it fits with what Mr. Soudas would have us believe in the halls of Parliament. Once again, this shows the Conservative government's contempt for this institution and Canadians.