Mr. Chair, I would like us to understand each other's position, and I will state mine. We understand that ministers are very busy people; we are not disputing that. We are just a little surprised that a minister feels the need to give priority to listening to a speech that does not seem related to his mandate, when we think that he would be more useful at the committee.
That said, I think that we should start off on the right foot. You are well aware that the opposition has cooperated in bringing the committee together as quickly as possible. Mr. Chair, I move that we hear from the minister from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. That means that his officials would come from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and that we would wrap up our work the moment the bell begins to ring for votes. I am ready to move that we hear from the minister, but I hope that he will be told that we would like to have been a priority in his schedule, because the government has constantly told us that this is the most important of its bills. It is the opposition parties and their leaders who have arranged for the committee to meet as quickly as possible.
So I move--seconded I think by Ms. Jennings--that we hear the minister at 4:30 p.m. as arranged, and that his officials appear at 3:30 p.m.