Thanks very much, Chair.

I always find it interesting because quite often I hear from Liberal members of this committee that they're concerned that we're distracted doing other things and they want to get back to the hard work of what this committee is doing. I know we have some some reports and whatnot that are are sitting on the table, yet here we are into a multiple-meeting filibuster by Liberals based on the answer to what seemed at the time, when initially posed by the media, by Conservative members and by other opposition parties, to be a pretty simple question: Who is this Randy that's in question?

We now have parliamentary resources, hours and hours of committee time and the Liberals doing backflips trying to make excuses and muddy the waters. They're saying phone records but not witnesses, and this but not that and the other thing. It all comes down to a very simple question: Who is this individual referred to as Randy in these text messages?

I don't understand. It is truly bewildering that the Liberals would burn so much political capital, that they would burn so much time and that they would spend so much energy trying to equivocate on this very simple question and turn a simple question into a scandal.

While the Liberals are blaming opposition parties for asking these questions and suggesting that maybe there's something to hide here.... Mr. Chair, the reason we are asking these questions is that the Liberals refuse to answer that one very simple, straightforward question.

In the absence of an answer to that question, one is inevitably led to the conclusion that they are trying to hide something, whether it is the members of this committee doing it willfully or whether it is a direction from the top that they cannot allow these answers to be given. Whatever the case is, quite frankly, that's their internal policies and, I would suggest, an attitude that has led them to the situation they're in today.

When it comes down to it, Chair, what this committee needs to get to the bottom of is that very simple question, and then we can proceed very logically after that point.

The one question I would hope that all members of this committee.... I understand there are some question marks around the conduct of these companies and contracts, including some government contracts and some very suspicious things. I know that when the minister came before this committee that was one of the most partisan attitudes that I've ever seen a minister of the Crown present before committee. He, members of the Liberal Party and so many others simply refuse to answer the very basic question of who this Randy in question is.

My encouragement to all members, to you, Mr. Chair, and to those who are watching is that until there is a forthrightness and willingness from the Liberals to answer that simple question, the inevitable conclusion is that they are trying to cover up and hide something damning.

I would simply leave it there, Mr. Chair.

Damien Kurek

$606,673.00