Senator Woo: I understand you would support holding additional hearings of the committee and perhaps having those meetings over our break week.

Hon. Yuen Pau Woo: Senator Housakos, given your avowed commitment to agreements by leaders, can we take it then that you will do everything you can so that the committee study will be completed in time for proper third reading debate in this chamber and to have a final vote on Bill C-11 by November 18?

Senator Woo: I’m not aware of any chair of a Senate standing committee sending a fundraising letter and using inflammatory language as part of that person’s duty in chairing such a committee.

Senator Housakos, I take it you are committed to discharging the work of this committee in a responsible and honourable way. Tell us, then: What are you doing to ensure that this committee and the proceedings in this chamber — including discussions with your leader and caucus — that we will, in fact, get to the promise that leaders signed of a third-reading vote on November 18?

Hon. Yuen Pau Woo: My question for the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications is as follows: Senator Housakos, in a fundraising letter that you sent to, by your account, hundreds of thousands of Canadians, you describe Bill C-11 as a censorship law. This use of hyperbolic language has the effect of labelling witnesses who are in favour of the bill as supporters of censorship.

Senator Housakos, this is, at best, name-calling; at worst, it creates a chill for witnesses who are favourably disposed to Bill C-11.

How can this chamber and how can Canadians have confidence that you will honourably chair this committee so that we will have a fair, impartial and expedient review and investigation of this bill?