Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Since Mr. Barrett raised this excellent question, I would like to explain to Canadians who are listening that it isn't just members of Parliament who are working very hard to move the debate forward. Dozens of people are also involved. For example, I'm thinking of the interpreters, who are doing an outstanding job.
As Ms. Gaudreau has pointed out several times, it's very important to take our time and speak very calmly so that the interpreters can do their job. Mr. Chair, you know as well as I do that these people are working in conditions that we wouldn't have thought possible in 2019. They are always listening, and they have a great capacity for concentration. They translate the words of members of Parliament, not only for members of Parliament who don't speak the other official language, but for everyone. This allows all members of Parliament to participate in the debate. Their work is exceptional, and I would like to tip my hat to the interpreters for the work they are doing under very difficult conditions during the pandemic.
From our committee clerk, to the analysts, to the support teams, everyone is working very hard to support us and give us all the resources we need to do our job. I'm very grateful to them for that.
I'm not saying this because they are mainly citizens of Hull—Aylmer, but because their work is very much appreciated. On behalf of everyone around the table, I thank them for that.
Mr. Chair, thank you for allowing me to give this short testimonial.
I'll now come back to the subject at hand. I would like to make a few comments. I'll focus on what's before us.
Mr. Barrett pointed out that we have been arguing for several hours about the direction of the committee's work.
I would like to reiterate that a few days ago, we were about to move forward with the committee's work and set aside our partisan interests to find a consensus. There is this beautiful saying in English:
It is that we seized defeat out of the jaws of victory.
We were on the verge of finding a consensus or a compromise that satisfied everyone, but we missed it. That's unfortunate, Mr. Chair. That possibility is still there. We can seize the victory instead of remaining at this impasse.
As my colleagues and I have said, let's seize the victory. Let's seize the compromise being presented. This is a golden opportunity to demonstrate that we can put aside our partisan interests to do the job Canadians expect of us.
This is extremely important. It could be resolved in two minutes. I invite Ms. Gaudreau, who is so hard-working, to do so. She's right; she herself is present at these meetings 98% of the time. She has no replacement. She is always there, and she listens attentively, which is rare. I know I shouldn't refer to her, but it's all to Ms. Gaudreau's credit. It's rare that her camera isn't on. I see her all the time, and I know that she listens to me. I tip my hat to her. I'm keen to work with her at the part where there is a great understanding between the two of us. I hope we'll seize this opportunity.
I salute the work of all members of Parliament. For many reasons, people have things to do. They need to take care of their constituents, their families or themselves to maintain a certain mental and physical health. We all have things to do. I don't want to waste people's time or my own. Like everyone else around this table, I invited my constituents to a meeting and had to postpone it to a more convenient time.
I don't know if we'll continue to sit through this week, but I'm prepared to do so with the goal of reaching a compromise. There are some hard-core people who believe that compromise is almost sacrilege. That's far from being the case. When you buy a house, the buyer doesn't always stick to the price without deviating from it. There's a negotiation and a compromise is reached. The seller and the buyer find common ground. It's the same thing we're doing here. Some members of the committee insist on point A, others insist on point C, but there is a point B that we can agree on.
I'm offering you not one hand, but both. Please accept this opportunity to reach a good compromise that will allow us to address the important issues in the motion put forward by the NDP member. Let's take this opportunity, because we could resolve this in two minutes.
I'm willing to work and so are the members of my party.
What I'm asking is that we meet in between, that we find common ground. This will allow both sides to present things that are important not only to ourselves—it's not interesting—but to Canadians, to citizens. That's what I'm asking for, and I hope we can get there. Situations where you can have it all don't exist. You have to put a little water in your wine. That's what I'm asking for, and I will do the same. That way we can find common ground.
Some excellent motions have been presented. They contain sections or paragraphs on which there is consensus. Other proposals were added after they were rejected once by the committee and a second time by the chair because they were not in order. If this is removed, there will be consensus. We'll talk about three items: the Canada student service grant program, Baylis Medical and Palantir Canada. That way, we can take immediate action.
If anyone thinks we're going to use this as an opportunity to undertake a study that's going to drag on and on, I encourage them to suggest that the committee look at this for a couple of meetings before moving on to something else. So we can limit all of that. Make me an offer.
This is what we're waiting for. There's a way to find common ground. I'm ready, I'm walking towards you, and I'm asking you to show the same openness. By doing so, we can come to a good understanding.
Mr. Chair, on many occasions you've shown great patience and wisdom. Your decisions are never clouded by your opinions. I know you'll welcome the opportunity to take action. So I encourage you to convince my colleagues to come to an agreement. I know, that's not your role. I don't know if this can be resolved by a meeting of the subcommittee. Maybe it's time to call a separate meeting in order to come to an agreement. It's very important to take action. In the meantime, I assure you of my co-operation and my desire to find a compromise. I think all the elements are there. It was there and is still there. So we can take action.
If, however, we insist on winning at any cost, we are no longer negotiating. We are not giving others a chance. Politics is the art of the possible. We all know what is impossible and, for the most part, I believe, what is fundamentally unacceptable. We also know that it is possible for all of us to come to an agreement, and that's the most important thing.
I will end my comments there.
I have already overstayed my welcome.
The one message I'd like to send my colleagues opposite is that we need to seize this opportunity to compromise for the benefit of all Canadians. Then we can take action.
With that, I give you the floor.