Mr. Siksay, you'd be quite right under normal circumstances, but the issue was that the chair made a decision, after having a conversation with the minister, to allow him to sit at the table to address the committee and to take questions. The committee has indicated that there appears to be a consensus that we not move in that direction. I undertook simply to allow a member to move a motion that we move forward on dealing with the issue of Mr. Soudas's failure to appear rather than hearing from the minister.
Mr. Poilievre is now saying we have to do this in two steps. First would be to challenge the chair's decision that the minister have an opportunity to speak and take questions, and then there would be another one. The one would take care of both, but Mr. Poilievre would like to split it in two.
The chair agreed to allow the minister to appear. The question is whether my decision shall be sustained. I put the question.
I see five votes for and five votes against. The chair doesn't vote on whether the chair's decision shall be sustained, so it's a tie vote, so the minister is at the table.
Minister.