First of all, I'd like to apologize to our witnesses here, but I'm sure they'll understand that we must solve our housekeeping problems before we start hearing the testimony for which they've prepared.
I thank you very much, but I would ask you to wait a little bit, with our apologies.
Mr. Chairman, it's quite unusual for the chair to propose a timetable without consulting anyone and without calling a meeting of the steering committee. Normally, a chairman who wants to change a timetable or create one ask the steering committee to meet, and together, they determine the calendar of meetings. In this case, he didn't even attempt to do so, which is quite unfortunate, because normally we enjoy good cooperation here.
I would also like to remind you that Standing Order 117, which also applies to committees, stipulates that that is the role of a chairman. Allow me to quote from it. This will be a good thing because it will remind all of us of what the Standing Order says:
The Chair of a standing, special or legislative committee shall maintain order in the committee, deciding all questions of order subject to an appeal to the committee; ...
You will understand that what I'm doing right now is an “appeal to a committee”.
The Standing Order continues:
...but disorder in a committee can only be censured by the House, on receiving a report thereof.
One cannot say that there is disorder in the committee. Therefore, the third part is of less concern to us, but the fact remains that it says that the chairman “decides all questions of order subject to an appeal to the committee”. I'm currently appealing through this intervention and not only do I absolutely want to hear a statement to the effect that this will be solved before the end of this meeting, but I want us to decide immediately how much time we will have at the end of the meeting today in order to settle this important issue of the calendar of meetings, which is the subject of the NDP motion.