In closing, I am reminded of the words of Mr. Speaker Milliken, when he was making a ruling on April 7, 2003, at page 5,198, regarding committee matters. In this ruling he stated:
We also recognize in our practice that committees are masters of their own proceedings....That being said, committees are also expected to adopt any such limits in a regular and procedurally acceptable manner.
The Speaker then went on to quote from a ruling from Mr. Speaker Fraser of March 26, 1990, who had stated at page 9,758 that
...chairman ought to be mindful of their responsibilities and make their decisions and rulings within the bounds of the fine balance provided by our rules.... I would urge all chairman and members of committees to try and strive mightily to ensure that the general rules of this place are followed as far as is sensible and helpful in those committees.
Finally, I want to remind the chairman of the words of our current Speaker when he dealt specifically with the roles of committee chairs in a ruling on April 18, 2002, at page 10,540, wherein he stated the following:
I am confident that committee Chairs continue to be mindful of their responsibilities to make fair and balanced rulings based on the democratic traditions of this place. Members of committees must also strive to resolve procedural issues in a manner which ensures that the rules are followed and that committee deliberations are balanced and productive for these committees.
I ask you to consider the matter closely and reflect upon the materials presented to you. I ask you to make a fair and balanced ruling based upon the three points I have brought to your attention, any of which would, I believe, standing on its own, cause the matter presented in the orders of the day to be out of order.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.