It sounds like, from towards the end of the comments of my colleague Ms. O'Connell, that we're going to agree to this. Frankly, I'm looking forward to having a short meeting where we can just pass the motion and move on.
There are a few things I want to say. I haven't heard so many nice things said about me at one meeting in a long time, so I probably shouldn't say a word.
I think what I'm getting from this on all sides is that we need a better process for determining our agenda going forward. I think it does speak to the less than optimal functioning of our subcommittee. We do have a subcommittee on agenda, which I think, with great respect, falls under the authority of the chair to call. I'm going to put that bug in the chair's ear to maybe use that. All parties are represented on it, and I think that we should be meeting on some sort of regular basis to deal with issues.
I appreciate the concern for my study. I think today would have been the fourth meeting of the four meetings I'm entitled to. I must state for the record that I don't take any offence at the 106(4) application, nor would I from any party. It's open to any four members of this committee to request a 106(4) meeting. Frankly, it's open to any four Liberals. There are five Liberals on this committee who could sign one anytime they want as well.
Although I am tired, as I know we all are, and I don't have the resources—I think Luc and I are just single members on this committee and don't have the resources, perhaps, of the other parties—I have come to believe that it's probably a good practice for this committee to meet every week, even on break weeks and at least until Parliament ends, because we are in a pandemic and we are the health committee. Although we would like this pandemic to be over and everything to be fixed and cured, it seems that every week there are serious issues that have to be looked at.
I think it's also important to note that we all have to be a little bit more sanguine and sensitive about not finding partisan offence in what I think is just normal parliamentary and committee work. I don't actually see any partisan, aggressive or inappropriate motive in the motion put forward today. I think they're raising really important, current issues right now.
I was just doing that panel, as I was saying, before I came to committee, and one thing that's very clear right now is that 85% of flights in this country are operating between provinces. We have rules on international flights coming to Canada. We effectively have very few rules, if any, within Canada. That's a serious issue.
There's a study that showed that there's an average of 17 flights per day in the two-week period that was just done. It showed at least one person tested positive coming off of those flights. There is clearly data showing that there is transmission of the virus interprovincially. I think that's something we really need to look at right now. There are no quarantine or testing rules interprovincially. I have a feeling that's a gap that all members of this committee might want to look at. I think it's listed in this motion.
I think we're all guilty of sometimes turning the partisan heat up. It's a good message from Mike, Jennifer and all of us to recognize that Canadians are expecting us at the committee to focus on the issues and get the best information that we can and to probe.
Having said that, I think we have to also not be so quick to find partisan offence in different perspectives. It's our job as opposition in the government to expose facts that the government may prefer not to see and to challenge narratives.
Let's face it, we all come to this committee as parliamentarians, but we all represent our parties as well. I don't think there's a person on this committee who hasn't, at one point or another, taken a partisan line on an issue. They shouldn't feel embarrassed about that. That's what we do and that's how our messy democracy works. We hammer away at issues, we challenge and we introduce different issues. There are some we want to look at and some we don't and we don't get consensus on these things.
Anyway, I don't want to prattle on. I support the motion. I think we should be meeting next week.
I want to say one thing as well. Interrupting meetings is a reality in this place. I want to state this for my Conservative colleagues. I don't view any attempt to disrespect on their part. I don't think that's the motive. I think they're motivated by a legitimate desire to see this issue studied and that's just what happens. Our committee agenda gets interrupted all the time. Estimates come forward and we have to delay our witnesses. Legislation comes before the committee and we have to delay our agenda. Luc has been waiting for the last two meetings of his PMPRB study for months.
I think we have to be aware if our colleagues are abusing the process to interfere with the agenda, but I don't sense that happening here. I don't sense that from any of my colleagues on this committee from any party. I think it's a good reminder for us to refocus on what's important and recognize that we're doing the work Canadians expect us to be working on, as the health committee, on their part and to be probing, exploring, questioning and challenging. Nobody should feel badly about that. That's what I think this motion will allow us to do next week.
Thanks very much everybody for listening. I'm going to vote in favour of this motion.