Thanks, Chair, I will be brief.
I have just a couple of points. First of all, the clerk was unable to receive any notices of motion because the committee was not duly constructed. That's why Mr. Barlow is moving ahead with it right now.
Second of all, I've been a member of this committee now for four years. Every time we pass a motion for study we usually start with departmental officials the very next meeting. Usually if we meet on a Tuesday they appear on a Thursday. We're meeting on a Thursday now. We're asking for a meeting I think on Tuesday next week.
You'll notice, colleagues, that the motion refers to officials. We're not specifying a position. We're asking for officials. We all know that this department is large. It's staffed with very capable people who have a lot of knowledge on these subjects, and they're perfectly capable of finding people on that short notice to appear before this committee. It's a regular order of business. It's been done this way for four years. I'll just leave it at that.
Mr. Chair, if we can, let's just get to a vote because I think these are pressing issues.