There's an expression in the law, “pith and substance”--I'm not lisping--and the issue here is does Parliament ever stop playing games between the parties? Or when does it stop? That's the other one.
Any motion that is acceptable under the orders of the House of Commons, and that the Speaker recognizes as acceptable, is acceptable. In the Standing Orders, matters of privilege take precedence over almost all other business, and have to be debated immediately they are introduced. That's correct.
I'm not going to go down that route, because yesterday and again today I have been trying to make the point that there are in Parliament matters of substance of utmost importance to the governing of the country and to what government can and cannot do through legislation. There's also a constant battle between the parties, which sometimes degenerates more into games than into useful argument.
I have tried to suggest, in the previous discussion on the release of material and what is a cabinet confidence, that the rulings of the Speaker have some differences in them and that it's up to this committee to start the process of resolving them. I do not want to get into the question of whether the games between parties are good or bad on this issue.
Thank you.