In response to the point of order, we are today discussing Mr. Blaikie's amendment, but I'd like to link it to an amendment the committee voted on and rejected. This would make the arguments in favour of requiring the presence of the Prime Minister still valid today. I am not talking about Mr. Turnbull's amendment, but rather about what we might have been able to gain compared to having the Prime Minister appear.
Mr. Blaikie also clearly indicated at the beginning of his speech that what he wanted to ask the Prime Minister was whether the decision to prorogue was based on of the events surrounding the WE Charity or because of the pandemic.
It mustn't be forgotten that after a prorogation, a prime minister is the only person who can submit a report explaining the reasons for it. The Prime Minister did that, without any obligation to do so. No one has forgotten that the Conservatives had prorogued Parliament for no good reason without ever giving an explanation. We agreed to the prorogation criteria on that occasion.
This is really not the time for partisanship. It's time for everyone to work together to help Canadians get through this crisis. I understand what Mr. Blaikie has been saying. He also clearly explained in his intervention how important it was to study Bill C‑19 before the end of the parliamentary session. He did say so. There's a simple way to do just that, and that is to proceed with the study.
Let's allow enough time for the Prime Minister to come, but proceed with the study of Bill C‑19 in the meantime. I think that's the best approach. We have important things to discuss with respect to Bill C‑19. We need some thorough discussions with the whole team, all the committee members. For example, there is the matter of having polling stations open on two additional days, Saturdays and Sundays. There are some good points to be made on this topic. I have some good points to make. Keeping polling stations open for eight hours on Saturdays and Sundays and 12 hours on weekdays requires a lot of volunteers. This needs to be discussed and an effective structure is needed.
I'm keen to discuss Bill C‑19 Because I have some ideas. I've done my homework. It's important to talk about the changes requested by Elections Canada, the scope of the Chief Electoral Officer's powers and how these powers can be extended.