So back to the amendment in terms of our consideration, I take the mover's fifth point, that the committee, acting as a committee of the whole and in camera, may wish to call other such witnesses. But what you're saying is that we just need to propose those witnesses, that it doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be following in some order.
My point is that before we hear what I would say is perhaps the more sensational end of our witnesses on this particular subject, it's proper...and this is where I go back to my whole support, the essence of my support, for the amendment. As committee members we're not properly able to deal with this, and we need to have the benefit of the background.
Mr. Chair, with all due respect to the subcommittee, we just don't have it. We don't have the report. I've made that point again. I understand that. But in my experience, and I've sat on a number of different boards, private and public, the responsibility that you have as a committee member is that you're participating in a process to get to the essence of the information that's in front of you. You have to be well informed.
The motion compels us to look for all the consideration we need to give to the subject. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Chairman, that it has not been there. That's why I support the motion. I would also say that in the course of looking at the study, it comes as a complete surprise that we move on this today. I believe the amendment that's in front of us permits us to look at this in an orderly fashion and frankly, Mr. Chair, allows us to get back to the important work this committee already agreed to with respect to the study on identity theft.
I take the point that this was said to be urgent, that we needed to proceed on this in an urgent fashion. I believe the amendment allows us to do that, and it allows us to do that in a proper and structured way, to be able to get back to an orderly business so that we can get to the bottom of these issues, and then get back to the study that we all agreed as a committee needs to be handled in due course and as quickly as we can, and also our study on identity theft.
Again, Mr. Chair, I support the amendment. I believe it would be very unwise for this committee to proceed without proceeding in the manner proposed by Mr. Reid.