The intent of the motion is that this committee request that the minister come and speak to us regarding his mandate letter as soon as possible.
Having been on that side of the table before, I know that sometimes takes time. I wouldn't expect him to be here on Thursday, but I would expect him to receive our request in the spirit in which it's given, and to propose dates to us that the subcommittee or others could consider. The fact that we make the request as soon as possible means it's not a hard deadline. It indicates our desire to hear from the minister and to ask questions of him on his mandate letter, which, to Mr. Morrissey's point, is quite expansive. It covers what the Prime Minister expects of him and lays out a number of key priorities for him and his department.
I think that's not a very narrowly cast invitation. The mandate letter is quite significant and will give us many avenues to speak with him about. It's not that it will be the first meeting, it is that at his first opportunity, as soon as possible, we'd love to hear from him.