Mr. Speaker, I have been listening all night to the debate. As members can imagine, I am deeply engaged with the foreign interference file as someone who has been targeted.
One main disservice was done through testimony at the Hogue inquiry. It actually came from Erin O'Toole, the former leader of the Conservatives. The name that was tied to the testimony was actually that of a retired Conservative senator, Senator Oh. Mr. O'Toole indicated very clearly that he did not at the time want to raise the issue, because he was concerned that somehow and somewhere, somebody would attack him by saying he might be a racist if he brought the issue up.
That is one name that we know of where there is a potential concern. Notwithstanding, the member talked a lot about naming names. I fully support naming names. I called for that to happen. I raised a question of privilege to the Speaker that was rejected.
Will the member and her party support my call for the government to establish a formal process, whether through PROC, some other committee or even back at NSICOP, so we can actually go back to look at the issue, examine the names and give an opportunity for the people to come forward so there are no due process issues about their potential involvement and those who are semi-wittingly or wittingly assisting in foreign interference activities? Will the member and her party do that so we can get to the bottom of this and stop playing politics?
Melissa Lantsman Thornhill, ON
Conservative
Mr. Speaker, if the NDP member wants so badly to release the names, then she should convince her leader to make the same call to the Prime Minister, rather than covering up whatever he is hiding.