Thank you, Mr. Chair
I'm absolutely thrilled to speak to the amendment, because this amendment embodies exactly what I was trying to get at in my earlier comments when we were in camera. It is unfair to this committee and to Canadians that a motion like this would be thrust upon them at the eleventh hour with no time to prepare at all or to read what was previously in the Standing Orders and what the recommended changes are.
It's fine for the opposition members to explain their intent and what the differences are, but that is not adequate research, in my opinion. I think that for a procedural change that will be in writing for an entire year, it's important to have more expert witnesses. The clerk herself admitted that she was not sure whether or not there might be a domino effect on other standing orders. It's up to us, certainly, to try to clarify that. I don't think there's any big rush to do this today. With the amendment before us, we have time to study the motion and do due diligence, at which time we can then either vote for or against it.
I would absolutely stand in support of the amendment to give us time to do an adequate study.