Mr. Speaker, I am reading clause 11, and I am having a very difficult time following the argument that the hon. member has raised. I know that he spent a good time in the military, and we highly respect the contribution that he made to the country.
However, we have to remember what clause 11 says. It would exempt our forces or officers from liability for directing or authorizing an activity using, possessing, importing, or exporting cluster munitions. By simply being in the field when people are at risk and another nation is coming in to assist them, I do not see where we have directed or authorized the use of cluster munitions. If we had, that is the whole point of the treaty, to prohibit actions expressly authorizing or requesting the use of cluster munitions.
That is completely contrary to clause 6, which says that we are prohibited from expressly requesting the use of cluster munitions, or acquiring or possessing cluster munitions. Clauses 6 and 11 just cannot be read together. It is a pointless exercise. We may as well not be ratifying the treaty, if we go ahead with the bill as tabled.