I want to respond to a question put by Mr. Vellacott. Why did we wait until today? Because we did not have the information at the last meeting. We did not find out whether Mr. Bédard could appear until today. I learned of the note last night. That is the objective reason.
There is something else. People are wondering whether it is out of the ordinary to do this here. I do not think so, Mr. Chair, not in this committee. We have always tried to respect everybody to ensure that we gain the best understanding of issues possible and that we have the best information in order to make decisions regarding bills. We have always enjoyed that kind of flexibility here. Under the circumstances, it is totally relevant because the information that I now have and that needs to be corroborated by a witness is, in my opinion, critical to our vote today.
I do not understand why anyone would not want us to hear that information, especially given the reasons put forward by Ms. Minna. Do we want to expedite the process, to fast-track things? It seems we are being asked to hurry up because it needs to be done quickly. It would be different if I were asking to delay our work. But since I am not and since this does not compromise the outcome of the conclusion of our business today, it would be mean-spirited to prevent us from hearing from this witness.