Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to explain to my colleagues who have not been with us long that the rush to discuss this motion stems from the fact that the session is ending. We are really interested in scheduling opposition days so that they are set out clearly for the next session. We know that there are three weeks left to sit. Since we are talking about it, I assume that it has been discussed already. Perhaps no agreement has been made to schedule these days reserved for the various opposition parties for the next session. In a way, I think this explains the rush to talk about it.
I sort of understand your hesitation. We know that, back when the Liberal Party was in power, they abused the management of opposition days. They tried to cluster them all at the end of a session, for example, as a parliamentary strategy. So we can understand, but just because there has been abuse, we do not need to repeat it. Today, we can collectively decide that we will take the right path and schedule opposition days more clearly and democratically. Basically, the government is not required to repeat what it did not like when it was the opposition.
I feel that we have a good opportunity today to prove, together, that we are in favour of a procedure that will make it possible to manage opposition days with greater transparency.
Everyone—MPs, citizens and all voters—need to be aware of the schedule of opposition days for the next session. No one here is interested in slowing down the debate before the end of this meeting. I hope that we can really deal with it so we can give our leaders the tools they need to schedule opposition days for the next session.
We also need to pay attention when we say that it is unfair. I am sure that all the parties are aware of the issue we are discussing today. It is nothing new. Perhaps we just need to formalize it so that, together, we can make a recommendation to the House of Commons. Once we have done that, the next session can start in a more organized and transparent way for all the MPs, but also for the public.
I do not believe that it would be complicated to make this decision today, Mr. Chair. I think that we need to tell ourselves that, if it has come here, there are good reasons for it. Perhaps the discussions didn't go anywhere? I am not a leader, but I understand that I cannot support an amendment that aims to continue the debate and conduct a study. I would prefer that we really deal with it today. So, I will not support this request to extend the debate and the study, out of consideration for the witnesses.