Mr. Chair, I rise on a point of order. My colleagues on the opposite side are looking for a vote here. I suggest that nowhere in the procedures set out in Standing Order 81(4) is there a procedure for voting. In fact, if we look at the first part of Standing Order 81(4), it states:
Each such committee shall consider and shall report, or shall be deemed to have reported, the same back to the House...
That is quite different from the latter part of Standing Order 81(4)(a), which states:
--the Committee shall rise, the estimates shall be deemed reported...
It does not say that the committee shall report or shall be deemed to have reported and it does not give the option of the committee actually reporting. Nor is there anything here that provides that all motions necessary to dispose of the item shall be put. There is no process whatsoever in Standing Order 81(4)(a) for voting on motions.
Clearly, the intention of the modernization committee was to have a process whereby there could be debate, the minister could be questioned on the estimates, and there could be discussion of the estimates during the evening. However, there is no process whatsoever for motions as part of this process and certainly not for voting.