I'll be very brief.
For the benefit of the committee, because not all members of the committee were at this House leaders meeting—and I would pose this to Madam Redman, an individual who, as opposite numbers both when she was in government and I was in opposition and now when I'm in government and she' s in opposition, I have a lot of respect for—my recollection is that there was a discussion, as I alluded to earlier, at the House leaders and whips meeting wherein we discussed the possibility of referring this matter to the procedure and House affairs committee, or a subcommittee of that body, to be dealt with further, to be studied further, and to see if there was unanimity on some of the changes to the Standing Orders, all of them or whatever.
If my memory is correct—and that's why I'm asking through you, Mr. Chairman, to Madam Redman, so that she can consider this and think about it—I recall that she herself said that, because at times committees...how shall I put this? I don't remember her exact words, but it was an allusion to the fact that sometimes at committee meetings things can get contentious and partisan whereas, generally speaking, at the House leaders meeting and the whips meeting, when we discuss things amongst ourselves at that level, it's usually easier to arrive at consensus and agreement.
Through you, Mr. Chairman, to her and to the others present here, people like me, and as Tom said, people who have been raised in the belief that your word is your bond, it's very difficult for us not to take a move like this personally.