Thank you.
I think it's helpful. The rules of the access to information, privacy and ethics committee from the last Parliament read:
That witnesses be given 10 minutes to make their opening statement, and if they have additional information it should be deposited with the Clerk of the Committee.
The rules from the agriculture and agrifood committee read:
That witnesses be given up to 10 minutes for their opening statement; that at the discretion of the Chair, during the questioning of the witnesses....
The Canadian heritage committee states that witnesses be given up to 10 minutes for their opening statement. The citizenship and immigration committee states that an organization be given up to 10 minutes for their opening statement. The environment committee states that witnesses be given 10 minutes to make their opening statement.
The rules of various committees are as follows: the finance committee states that witnesses be given up to 10 minutes for their opening statement; for fisheries and oceans, that witnesses be given 10 minutes for their opening statement; for foreign affairs, 10 minutes; for government operations, that witnesses be given five to 10 minutes for their opening statement; for health, five minutes per member, and that the chair direct the first two questions to the members of the official opposition; and for human resources and skills development, that in the hearing of evidence, witnesses be allowed a maximum of 10 minutes for their presentations
Industry gives 10 minutes maximum; justice, 10 minutes maximum; national defence and veterans affairs, 10 minutes maximum; official languages, 10 minutes maximum; status of women, 10 minutes maximum; transport, 10 minutes maximum; and the Library of Parliament committee gives 10 minutes for their opening statement. Scrutiny of regulations has none
So that's all of them. It's not only common, it's ubiquitous. There are not “no limits”, as Marlene pointed out. The standard is that there are limits in every committee. If we have to go around this again, I don't know if I can stay. It's driving me mental.