So based on what the clerk has told us—unless of course the House leader from the government side is going to tell us when the last supply day is, which is hardly likely to happen next week—we've been given no notice, and supply days really imply that we actually have opposition days. So there are a number of them left, unless we're going to have opposition days all next week, which is highly unlikely. There is still time, recognizing that the minister is out of the country next week, I believe. Then it's the constituency week. There is still time after that to call him.
The estimates got dropped yesterday afternoon after question period, some time about 3:15 or 3:20, which basically didn't give those of us who actually like to look through them any amount of time. I think at this point calling the minister is slightly premature, if our side is going to be given the time for due diligence in looking through the estimates.
I guess the only other comment I would make is, if the government side is willing to waive the procedure that they try to enforce all the time, that we must only ask questions of the minister pertaining to the estimates, and it can be a free-for-all, and they want to commit to that, then I'd be happy to just do a free-for-all and do the estimates at some other time. If they want to bring the minister in and say, “Go ahead, take your time and go at him,” rather than the estimates, maybe that would be an opportunity to take up.
But beyond that, it would seem a reasonable amount of time should be given to at least look at the estimates, since it is indeed the primary piece that parliamentarians are actually supposed to do, to figure out where the money is going. That would be an important piece for us to do. So I would look to the government to say, “All right, we'll try to pick another date.” That would be my sense of it.