Thank you, Chair.
I have no problem with calling more witnesses for the oil sands study. I don't know if this motion is timely, because the steering committee is going to have to decide what the next commitment of the committee is. Should it be SARA? I think so. On Bill S-216, there are legislative requirements. Maybe there is other private members' business, bills.
At this point, I have no problem with passing a motion that we call somebody else. It's just that it's fine to have Mr. Graham Thomson come, but when will that be? That will be up to the steering committee to decide when we're going to have a review, when we're going to have a continuation of a study of the oil sands.
Chair, I want to make it very clear that supporting this is supporting that we re-open discussions for the oil sands at some time, and Mr. Graham Thomson would be included as one of many more witnesses for the oil sands.
But clearly we're not making a commitment that it's our next study. I think we have to go to SARA. I've heard from a number of environmental groups that have shared with us their concern that we stopped SARA and that we need to get back to SARA, the Species at Risk Act.
I will support it with the understanding that Mr. Graham Thomson will be just one of many other witnesses who will be invited to the committee sometime in the future.