There was some discussion in other committees about this particular motion, in that the five minutes may be very useful, particularly if you have three witnesses in a a session or something like that, but one of the chairs expressed the view that someone suggested that discretion be used to perhaps increase it. The chair was of the view that this particular motion didn't give the chair any discretion to provide a longer time. There may be occasions when we have only one witness, for example, and “at the discretion of the chair” was inserted before the five minutes or somewhere there, so that the chair had discretion in determining the length of the opening statements. It could be for “five to seven minutes” or some general discretion.
One committee that we met with suggested that it be at the discretion of the chair in consultation with the parties. In fact, on the Canada-China committee, it was in consultation with the vice-chairs, of which I was one. That sort of discretion I think ought to be included in the motion as well if someone has a specific amendment to include that. I wanted to raise that point.