Thank you, Mr. Fragiskatos.
I will take a stab at that question. The only other person I have on my list coming up next would be Mr. Gerretsen, but for the benefit of the committee as a whole, 83.1 in the Standing Orders states:
Standing Committee on Finance to consider budgetary policy.
Commencing on the first...day in September of each year, the Standing Committee on Finance shall be authorized to consider and make reports upon proposals regarding the budgetary policy of the government. Any report or reports thereon may be made no later than the third sitting day before the last scheduled sitting day in December, as set forth in Standing Order 28(2).
That is the direction from the House to the Standing Committee on Finance. What would be the consequences? I don't think the penalties or consequences are really spelled out. I think it would be up to the House to decide, but it is something that we could refer to the law clerk to see if we could get an answer at some point. I don't think we need the answer tonight, but I think it would be up to the House to decide if the committee and its membership didn't meet Standing Order 83.1.
I will say that the Standing Committee on Finance is always in a problem in an election year. The hearings get rushed. We did do the hearings last year, and the analysts did a great job of putting it together and getting our work done in a fairly straightforward way.
With that, we'll go to Mr. Gerretsen. We are on the amendment to the original motion.