Imagine my devastation on discovering the NDP doesn't believe in egalitarian principles any longer.
I firmly believe, and I argued this in the last Parliament as well, that the committee is not here to be the master of political parties, but to be the master of members of Parliament. That is why we are all members of standing committees and associate members of all the other standing committees. It's so that we have the ability to sit in on any committee that we want to. That is what a member of Parliament has.
The rights and privileges of a committee member should be that we are all treated the same. I believe we should all get five minutes and we should all get an opportunity to speak once before anybody else has been given an opportunity to speak for a second time.
It has nothing to do with political parties. It has everything to do with members of Parliament and the rights and responsibilities they should have. I believe firmly in that. I believe everybody should get five minutes. I believe the amendment that is proposed is fair and represents the principles we should go with. I know the finance committee went that way. I know the veterans affair committee has gone that way. Several committees are going that way. I think it's the right way to do things.