Thank you very much, monsieur le président.
I certainly support my colleague's motion, and I'm glad to see that we probably should be able to get unanimous agreement to discuss it, because I think, as my colleagues across the table have said, it is urgent.
The other issue we have on the table is also urgent, and we want to see that discussed probably as urgently as some of the other parties opposite do. We want to get some information on record that I think deserves to be on record, and I think through this committee maybe we'll do that.
I should begin by saying, first of all, I'm a newcomer to this committee, and I'm just here to replace my good friend who couldn't be here, Mr. Hill.
But in speaking to Mr. Preston's motion, I must say, to be honest with you, with all due respect to my colleagues opposite, I have gotten an inordinate number of calls over this issue of the veiled voting. I don't know how many people will be voting behind a veil in those three byelections, but it seems that there are going to be an inordinate number of people who are going to do it, because it's such a big issue.
I would strongly suggest, to build on what Mr. Guimond said and whatever time it takes to do this, that we deal with this issue. I think we agree that we have only a few days to do it. Maybe we could give it priority--do it first--and then go on to the other issue. I think there has to be some kind of solution so that we can do it in a cooperative way and make sure we get both issues dealt with. But I think, as Mr. Guimond suggested, the party that might delay things might not do too well from a public relations point of view. I don't think postponing this issue of veiled voting would serve any of the parliamentarians sitting around here, so I would strongly suggest that we deal with this motion as a priority.