I'm so sorry. Let me start again. I said I think Luc's suggestion is something worthy of consideration. I'm unclear whether or not the committee can be extended on Monday, and if it can, whether that would be for one or two hours. I would prefer two hours, because I'm not sure that one hour is sufficient.
The other point I want to make is that I take Michelle completely at her word when she says that it's not her intent to bump witnesses, but the practical reality is that that's the impact of this motion unless we can find a different spot. I'm going to go back to the very first motion that underpins our COVID study, which is that our COVID study have a process in it that is intended to allow every party to have its turn in addressing the issues of concern to it. Every time we delay this process by having more and more meetings, it means Luc's priority and my priority keep getting pushed into the future. Some of that's unavoidable, and I don't mind that. If there truly is an issue of huge importance, that's fine. Obviously when the minister comes and we have estimates, that's another issue. We're always subject to potential legislation coming, so I understand that can happen.
But when members of this committee put issues forward that in effect require more meetings to be scheduled, that has the effect of delaying when we get to Luc's issue and my issue. I would remind all members as well that there is a process in the motion that we passed, such that if someone believes at the end of their four meetings—and it doesn't have to be four, I realize. In this case, on the Conservatives' priority of vaccine—which was also my first priority, by the way—we agreed to the maximum number of meetings for those witnesses, which is four. There is a process built in for this committee to have additional meetings after that, by unanimous consent.
If at the end of those four meetings we believe there are further witnesses we would like to hear from—and I think this is a classic example of a case in which we would—I would support hearing from witnesses on this issue. I would just remind everyone that the process is available to us. Now, it's fraught with some political risk because it requires unanimous consent. This process of using 106 just requires a majority support, but it has the effect of giving the Conservatives more meetings under their priority, and not following the process that we have in our motion. I just want to make that clear.
I will put on the record here that I'm not supporting any more 106 meetings unless they truly fall under the rubric of urgency or importance. Again, I don't cast any aspersions about this motion. I think it's well intentioned. I think that it's timely and important. The trouble is, where does that end? I mean, on vaccines, we could end up having 13 meetings through 106, because it seems that every week, every day there's an issue of importance on vaccines. I just want to remind us of that process that we have in the committee and remind everybody that other parties are waiting to get to their priority issues as well, and we're only on the second priority of 16 that have been identified. Vaccines happen to be, I think, an extraordinary priority, so I personally would support having extra meetings if that's the way we go.
The last thing I want to say is that I just heard from our whip. I've just been made aware that there are extra slots available for this committee, and for any committee. They occur on Thursday and Tuesday nights. I understand that the Thursday night slots are booked for next week. Tuesday night I couldn't do, but what I'm going to suggest as well after we deal with Luc's issue is—I think it's important to put this on now so that we understand what our full options are—that this committee could reserve one of the night slots the following week on either the Tuesday or the Thursday. Now, I heard Michelle say that her request is that the meeting be held this week. If it can't be scheduled without bumping anybody, then I would support having this meeting the following week in one of those open slots that are available.
Perhaps the clerk can advise us right now. My whip seems to know when those slots are or aren't available. Perhaps the clerk can advise this committee on what extra slots might be available the following week. It might help us to know when we can best schedule this meeting, once we know what all our options are.
If I may, Clerk, is a one-hour or two-hour meeting after the meeting on Monday possible?