Mr. Chair, I guess I'll just comment on a few points.
With respect to the regulations that you read, I don't think we're contravening the standard operating procedures of the House because I think we all understand that the members are not members of the committee, they're not able to vote, and they will not be counted. So I think this respects what you read out from the operating procedures for the House.
The other thing is, when it comes down to the right to vote, I guess I'd remind everybody that all of our colleagues don't have a right to vote in committee on clause-by-clause. The committee members or their substitutes have a right to vote on the clause-by-clause portions of a bill and on any amendments. But people who are not members of the committee or are replacing a member of the committee don't have that right either. They have a chance to vote in the House, as would be afforded independents. I think if Malcolm feels really strongly that an independent should have a vote on an amendment put forward, I would encourage Malcolm to step back from the table, let the independent take his spot formally as a member of the committee, and then he or she can vote. Then, Malcolm, you'd be a hero for doing so in the eyes of the independent you would allow to do so.
I guess the last point I'll bring up is that none of us has the opportunity to table amendments to bills in the House. We do it at committee. That's the reason we have committees, so that there can be discussion about the amendments, and then the amendments can be voted on at committee, so that the House is not having to deal with amendments from everybody once the legislation makes it back into the House. All we're really saying is that the independents should be part of this process.
I like what Mr. Eyking said. It's opening the door to them to be part of the process of which we are part, in terms of proposing amendments to legislation during the clause-by-clause portion.