I would like to propose an amendment, whether it's acceptable or not.
I would like to propose that the orders be reversed, and that we proceed on the 9th to review Bill C-311, the proposed Climate Change Accountability Act. That would be consistent with the rules that we previously adopted to give priority to the legislation. It's recognized worldwide that we need critical action on climate. To keep deferring this matter just seems inappropriate.
Secondly, I would like to recommend that we reduce the further list of witnesses. I'm open to persuasion, but as we sit here, the province is continuing to issue permits for the expansion of the oil sands facilities, including permits for the withdrawal of water.
We have already heard from a good number of witnesses, highly qualified science, industry, NGO, first nations witnesses, and I feel compelled to be expediting our recommendations to the federal government rather than making this more of an academic exercise.
I am fully supportive of hearing Dr. Jim Bruce, who, we had agreed, was a priority; he just wasn't available to come to Alberta. The same with Dr. John O'Connor.
It is, by the way, Dr. John O'Connor, not Dr. Jim O'Connor.
I am open to persuasion on the other witnesses, but I need to be convinced that they would add anything additional that would be of substance and necessary for us to deliberate on the matter.