Thank you, Chair.
This is entirely relevant, the discussion regarding election timing, because this discussion on the advertising practices of not only the Tories but other parties is tied into the election.
The opposition is looking for an election issue. They desperately want to be able to go into an election with an issue that they can say demonstrates the Tories are in the midst of a scandal or are corrupt or conduct themselves inappropriately. That's what they need. So they're using this committee as a vehicle to try to achieve their objective. I think it's entirely relevant to talk about the election and when it may occur, because that factor has great relevance to the timing of this committee's work and this discussion, that the opposition members want this discussion on only the Conservative Party election practices to happen as soon as possible. Their fervent desire, their hope, is that they can uncover something that will allow them to go into that election, which may be imminent, with an issue. Even if they don't uncover anything, at least they would be able to say, “Well, you see the procedure and House affairs committee is having the Tories' election spending practices before it and investigating it.” They would at least have that.
What they don't want to have happen is have the balanced story that all parties are having their election books examined. That doesn't do them any good politically. That's not good. Because it's balanced, it's not good. They want something to be strictly over the top in a partisan manner that reflects poorly on the Conservatives. That's why they're so desperate to get this thing done now and not allow their own books to be investigated.
That brings me back to when the election may actually occur. As the political observers have noted, what has changed in the last couple of days is the fact that the Conservative government will be putting on the notice paper a resolution regarding Canada's plan to extend the Afghanistan mission. The Liberal Party does not want to have an election on that issue because they're so seriously divided within their own caucus as to what to do. They do not want to go into an election campaign with that being the ballot question.
So how do they avoid that? Well, they have to force the election on another issue. The first opportunity would probably be the budget. I say “probably” because no one knows when the budget will be tabled. Again, rumours and speculation have it that that budget would be tabled on or about February 26, and then--