Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, I responded to his colleague in the first round of questioning. I repeat once again that there was caution throughout the process of not releasing or disclosing any such names to the point where I chose not to write those names to the chair in asking quite appropriately for her to review the allegations that were made by these individuals.

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, my supplemental is also for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. When the Al Mashat affair took place three years ago, it was clearly stated by the current Minister of Human Resources Development in the House on June 12, 1991 that a government minister is required to protect the anonymity of individuals and to decline to publicly identify them.

Immigration And Refugee Board  My colleagues, I would ask if you both could make the questions and answers a little shorter. I ask the hon. member to please put his question forthwith.

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, will the minister now concede that he is responsible for this gross injustice and for further compromising the integrity of his department? Will he take charge to remedy the serious damage that he has caused within his department?

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, I repeat once again that no one is undermining any process. In fact I was given the names by a media outlet. I have not made any names public. It was on the advice of the Department of Justice counsel that for the deputy chair to appropriately and fairly respond to those allegations contained in the report that his counsel disclose the names of those individuals who made those allegations.

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, I reject that completely out of hand. I repeat for the hon. member that the names were disclosed to the counsel of Mr. Schelew on the advice of the justice department in response to my request for the deputy chair to respond to the report of the chair and the appropriateness of the recommendation and that the IRB members in question were advised immediately by the IRB.

Immigration And Refugee Board  I would ask the hon. member to put his question now, please.

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, will this minister admit that he has made a gross and inexcusable violation similar to those ministers in Ontario who had to resign and consider doing the same?

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, I find it remarkable that an investigation could go on in this fashion and yet there be influence against a witness who may pose as a potential witness in a future investigation or a court hearing. This weekend Schelew called two of the people and actually went to the home of another person who had filed complaints against them, like an accused calling on the victims for a little chat before a trial.

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, this minister clearly thinks he is above the law. The minister has not violated-

Immigration And Refugee Board  Oh, oh.

Immigration And Refugee Board  I would ask the hon. member to put his question, please.

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, the minister has not only violated the Privacy Act but also basic justice. We are talking about an investigation here and witnesses. As a former police officer if I were to release information to an accused in a crime of those people who were accusing me or an individual before any charges were laid that would cost me my job and probably there would be criminal charges against me.

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, I ask the member to put the entire situation in proper context. I first received five names from a media outlet. Upon receiving those names I wrote the chair of the board to have her look into the allegations made by these five individuals. In my letter to her I explicitly left out the names.

Immigration And Refugee Board  Mr. Speaker, throughout the process I took great care in terms of not releasing or disclosing those names. Once the chair made her report available to me, my counsel wrote a letter to the deputy chair asking for his response to that report and the appropriateness of the recommendation.