Thank you very much.
I'll start by recognizing, as others have around the table, the importance of the issue. I think it is quite disconcerting to see insolvencies on the rise. We know that these numbers represent a state of affairs that existed prior to a number of subsequent rate hikes by the Bank of Canada. This is certainly something of concern. It's something that the committee has looked at in various other ways as well. We've talked to folks from banks, particularly around fixed-payment variable term mortgages. We can ask what's going on there.
As the committee knows, whether to talk about inflation or whether to talk about interest rate increases, I think the minister ought to come. I think she has a sufficient number of invitations to be able to come if she so chooses. I'm not exactly sure why this particular motion is the one that's going to put us over the top, particularly since this motion retains a lot of problematic and unhelpful elements that have been the subject of a lot of discussion around this committee table before, whether it's the length of the invitation, the idea that she should appear without her officials, or, in this case, the relatively tight turnaround for the appearance.
As I say, I don't think this is a particularly helpful motion in the way that it's constructed. I don't think it's likely to get the minister before us. I do think it would be good to have the minister come quickly to committee at the opening of session in order to address some of these issues. There has been some change, as Mr. Chambers referenced, in terms of the inflation rate since we last met. I think it would be useful to discuss those things. I am determined to be optimistic about getting the minister here in the context of our inflation study so that we might close it off, but I think that is the best way for her to appear.
I don't think this particular proposal really fits the bill, if I'm being honest. I think there's a lot of context on the record for why I feel that way, so I won't belabour those points any further. I just wanted to make it known that while I do support the idea of the minister coming here, as I have for a long time now, to talk about the issues of inflation and interest rates, I think there are better ways to do it than what's been presented here today.