On a point of order, Mr. Chairman, it's impossible for us now to proceed, knowing exactly what we'll be discussing next week, when we'll be discussing it, in order for us to make determinations about witnesses. Many of them have been contacted. They are waiting for some instruction from the committee as to when they should be coming here to appear and make their travel plans. When we're dealing with people in positions of considerable influence in our society and in our corporate world, it is very difficult for them to understand why they wouldn't at least get some notice.
It is now Thursday afternoon. If we're going to be having meetings on Tuesday, what is the subject of our meeting on Tuesday? Is it going to be a pre-budget submission? Is it going to be the impact of the high dollar?
We have to have some determination of what's going on in the meetings next week and the week following for us to make some determination as to who is actually going to come here. We just run roughshod over this.
I know you're in a big hurry here, but you just have to slow down, Mr. Chairman, so we can understand exactly what we're doing so that we, this committee, can reach out and have some credibility with the wider corporate community.
It is completely essential that we know now what we're doing in at least the meetings coming up next week. Are we dealing with pre-budget submissions? Are we dealing with the high dollar? Are we going to have the opportunity to get back to witnesses whom many of us have talked to, based upon the motion that we thought was passed in the last meeting, that there be x number of meetings coming forward within the next two weeks for us to discuss the impact of the high dollar on Canadian society? Can you please clarify?