Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Leader in the Senate. Senator Harder, on Monday evening, you assured us that the house committee was still actively meeting on the SNC-Lavalin scandal and that it would make its decisions as an independent committee of the other chamber. However, at almost the same time you said this, the five Liberal members of the Justice Committee released a letter stated that they had achieved our objectives with respect to the meetings and that Canadians “now have the necessary information to arrive at a conclusion.”

Senator Harder, how can we conclude that this is anything other than — I hate to say it — a cover up? I use this term advisedly, but sincerely, as I said before. Why were the Liberal members of the committee directed to shut down the investigation and what is this government so determined to hide?

I thank the honourable senator for his question. It gives me the opportunity to reinforce views that I have expressed earlier. That is to say, the committee of the other chamber made a decision as a committee. I acknowledge that it was not a unanimous decision, but it was a decision reached by the majority of the committee.

Senator Harder, you previously indicated to honourable senators that, because the house committee was examining this matter, the Senate should not do so. Well, the house committee investigation has been shut down. The Senate may be the only avenue left to get to the bottom of this and to allow former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to tell her full truth to Canadians.

It is what Canadians want. If the transparency and openness once promised by your government mean anything at all, will you agree to support a Senate study into this very serious matter, and will you support the motion that was put forward on Monday?

I thank the honourable senator for his question. It gives me an opportunity to remind him of the comments I made when I spoke to his motion in indicating that not only was, at the time of the motion, the committee of the other place under way but we also had, at the direction of the Prime Minister, the Ethics Commissioner and Compliance Commissioner of the House of Commons being mandated to undertake a review that is under way.

Since I made those comments we have had the announcement with respect to the study and investigation by the former deputy prime minister and long-time Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Anne McLellan, with respect to some of the machinery of government issues and the relationship issues attached to the exercise of the justice and Attorney General functions. Those are important pieces that are under way and in direct answer to the question, no I do not.

I thank the honourable senator for the question. Earlier in questioning, I acknowledged that I have met with representatives of SNC-Lavalin. I can’t remember the precise dates, but they were in accordance with the Lobbying Act and are reported at the same time, I should mention, that the company undertook a number of representations to a number of senators and other officials on both sides of the aisle so that they understood the concerns that the company had with respect to the deferred prosecution agreement process.

No.