Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to take this opportunity to make a comment for my committee colleagues. With all due respect to everyone on this committee, this is the second time recently that a decision of the chair has been challenged, despite the fact that decision was based on the rules and usages governing committee proceedings. This isn't a matter of interpretation of the standing orders. Rules regarding our practices do exist, and they must be obeyed. Once again a decision of the chair has been challenged and overturned because we prefer to continue. Which is absolutely right and legitimate; we want to continue questioning the witnesses.
I call on this committee to exercise great caution. There are rules, and it is all well and good for the committee to be sovereign and the master of the decisions it makes regarding how it operates, but we are on extremely slippery and dangerous ground when we overturn decisions that are clearly consistent with the rules based on the Standing Orders of the House.
This happened a few weeks ago when the decision on a motion to adjourn was challenged. This time, a decision on the admissibility of a motion has been challenged.
I'll stop there.
Mr. Chair, I want it recorded in the minutes of this meeting that I encourage this committee to exercise considerable caution with regard to all the parliamentary tools we have at our disposal.
Thank you.