Mr. Chair, an independent can come to any meeting. I don't think I would be comfortable with our having done a study over a length of time and then having someone pop up at the end of a study, when they might not have been here throughout the rest of the study, to make amendments to the report.
We're talking about legislation here, where this motion would apply. I'm comfortable with its applying to legislation, but not to reports. They can come and listen to any meetings we have, to any testimony, listen to the witnesses, and they can have input through committee members, which is really the normal way that it's done. Any of our colleagues from any other committees can come and interact the same way.
I think the problem for legislation is that if we don't pass this, then independents won't have an opportunity to propose amendments during the clause-by-clause phase except in the House, and they won't really get a chance to talk to it, whereas when they come to committee, they then do have an opportunity to sell their point, which is kind of nice.
I'm in favour, Mr. Chair, of just leaving it for legislative purposes, which would be clause-by-clause review of bills.