Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. I want to make a few short points.
During the last meeting, and this one, thus far, we're hearing very clearly from our Conservative colleagues who have expressed their concerns over the amount of time we have to study this BIA. Unfortunately, as my colleague, Mr. Chambers, just mentioned, we had to cancel our witnesses during the last session, many of whom we were very much looking forward to hearing. We've also had to cancel any witnesses that might have been able to be booked in for this meeting. That's very sad, because we could have already been moving on this BIA study.
We have put forward a proposal that would have seen us have 20 hours of witness testimony. This is in line with our previous study of the BIA, and it's also in line with the amount of time we've spent in the last five years on a BIA study. It allows us for a sufficient amount of time for us to conduct a very full clause-by-clause review.
Monsieur Ste-Marie, our Bloc Québécois colleague, has put forward a really great and thoughtful amendment to give other committees the opportunity to study certain sections of the bill, and we have agreed to it. I believe someone said in our last meeting that politics is the art of compromise. It was a wonderful and thoughtful proposal. It was a much-needed one, given the timing impacts that we have for May and June every single year.
So far, our committee is not able to study this important legislation. These other committees that might already get going, studying different parts of the budget implementation act, are also delayed in getting started in terms of studying the different key sections.
We've made our points. We don't want to keep repeating them. I also believe that the Bloc and the NDP have done an excellent job in making their points.
I really love hearing some of the wonderful suggestions that are coming out. I love the team building event over the summer that Mr. Chambers proposed. I would really like to encourage Conservatives to make their points and to allow this to go to a vote.
We have to vote on a subamendment and a motion. I would encourage us, if we could adjourn debate, to go straight to a vote, so we can get started on this BIA study.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.