Mr. Chair, I respectfully submit that the comments of my colleague Mr. Hill, quoting statements of mine from 12 years ago, when I was Minister of Labour, bring us directly to the substance of the bill, that is, the definition of essential services.
Our committee's role is not to decide on the substance of the bill, but to decide whether it is votable or not, as the result of an appeal submitted by one of our colleagues. I am not going to get into that discussion, because I feel I would then get into the discussion on the bill. In addition, the scenario foreseen by my colleague assumes further decisions from the Speaker of the House of Commons rejecting one amendment or another. These assumptions go too far. Let us get back to the question of whether the bill is votable or not.
It is difficult for me to support the arguments of some of my colleagues in the Conservative government who say that the subcommittee did its work very well. I do not question that, I respect the work that was done. But as a member of this Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, I have absolutely no idea what happened because the work was done in camera. That is fine, even if we could raise the question again. Here, I am sitting on an appeal committee. I do not know what the committee discussed, nor which arguments were accepted or rejected. I only know the final result.
Mr. Lukiwski's argument today is that the subcommittee's work should be upheld. Our colleague Mr. Silva also has another avenue of appeal to go before the House.
We are being told to stop calling things into question. They did their work well and there is another appeal. We should not take a position today. I reject that. As a member of the committee, I have a role to play. The appeal is before us, I am dealing with it according to my knowledge of the bills and of the criteria as interpreted by the subcommittee. I am not questioning the quality of their work, but today, I am able to have an opinion that differs from that of the subcommittee that did the work. That is the case.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.